Callista fidgeted, her throat tightening as she stood before Athena. The ice in the princess's features felt a world away from the warmth of that starlit night. "Just... looking for a bite to eat," she stammered, her voice betraying her unease.

Athena rose, her gaze flickering between Callista and the ruby ring on her finger, a muscle clenching in her jaw for a fleeting moment. Without a word, she gestured for the hunter to follow, leading her deeper into the private chamber. They settled into an awkward silence, broken only by the soft clink of the ruby ring against porcelain as the princess fiddled with it.

As a perfectly cooked ribeye materialised before Callista, her stomach rumbled with a mix of hunger and nervous tension. 

Maybe the hunger wasn't entirely a lie.

Athena blinked, a hint of amusement crinkling the corners of her eyes. A genuine chuckle, soft and unexpected, broke the ice. "Seems the 'hunger' wasn't entirely fabricated," she teased.

Callista felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Who says it was?" she retorted, a touch of defiance lacing her voice. She reached for the steak, the sound of the silverware a welcome distraction.

A flicker of something, warmth maybe, replaced the amusement in Athena's eyes as her gaze drifted from Callista's plate to her face. Then, in a swift, unexpected movement, she reached out, wiping a smudge of oil from the corner of Callista's mouth. The touch lingered a beat too long, sending a jolt through Callista.

Athena seemed oblivious, her tongue darting out to absently lick the stain from her finger. The crimson tip emerged, savouring the taste for a moment before disappearing into her lips. The brief movement sent a wave of heat crashing over Callista.

Callista swallowed hard, the dryness in her throat a stark contrast to the turmoil within. "Playing one of your games again, Princess?" she accused, her voice tight. It was a wrong thing to ask. She hadn't meant to pick a fight. But the mixed signals Athena sent her were… unbearable.

One eyebrow arched in surprise. "What game, Astra?" Athena murmured, her tone deceptively neutral.

"One minute you're all over me, the next..." Callista's voice trailed off, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “... You're distant. But even then, your actions contradict everything you say. What are you trying to tell me, Athena?"

Callista's words hung heavy in the air. A pang of regret shot through her as she realised the unintended harshness. Perhaps the encounter with Death had stirred emotions she wasn't ready to face. Ignoring the unfamiliar ache in her chest, she pushed herself up from the table.

Just what was she hoping for? A genuine connection with a creature of the night? As she turned to leave, a strong hand clamped around her wrist, anchoring her in place. Athena's golden eyes, usually cold and assessing, held a hint of... sadness?

"Never trust us, Astra," Athena murmured, her voice laced with something akin to remorse. “Trust is a path veiled in thorns. As for affection..." her tone dropped to a melancholy husk, "...it's a luxury we don't possess."

Callista's jaw clenched, a muscle throbbing in her temple. Betrayal stung her eyes. ‘Then why act as if you do?’ was what she wanted to say, but instead, she forced out, "Who spoke of affection? Don't flatter yourself."

"Then enlighten me, Astra," Athena countered, "what is it you truly seek?"

A choked reply formed on Callista's lips. The truth, a tangled mess of emotions, threatened to unravel. "Curiosity," she lied, the word a flimsy shield. “What's it like being with a woman, that's all. And you’re… convenient."  The lie a desperate attempt to lash out, to mask the vulnerability she refused to acknowledge. Yet the raw, wounded look in Athena's eyes caused a pang of guilt.

"Any woman will suffice, then?" A cold, humourless chuckle escaped Athena's lips as she rose. With a lightning-fast movement that stole Callista's breath, she found herself pinned to the bed, Athena's body a warm weight pressing down. 

The princess’s voice was a purr, laced with danger. "Conveniently, I can offer you a... practical lesson. What do you say, Astra?"

Callista gasped. The press of their bodies ignited a raging heat through her, clouding her reason. Her eyes darted to Athena's lips, a silent question. A mistake.

Or perhaps, not.

In a heartbeat, Athena bridged the gap. Her lips met Callista's in a kiss that crackled with withheld heat. Callista moaned at the soft press of lips. Athena's tongue traced the seam, a question, and the hunter's traitorous mouth complied.

The kiss deepened, not a power struggle but a delicate exploration, ignited a spark within Callista. Athena savoured the encounter, mapping Callista's lips with a slow, deliberate sensuality. It was a stark contrast to her earlier hurtful words, a walking paradox embodied.

Caught off guard by the sudden intimacy, Callista found herself responding in kind. A low sound, a primal echo deep within, escaped her throat. Her fingers, as if by instinct, reached out, tangling in the golden strands of Athena's hair.

Logic surrendered to the overwhelming intensity of the moment. Despite the web of secrets and simmering anger, a powerful connection undeniably thrummed between them. An echo of a potent yearning, a rekindling of the spark ignited the first time they touched, flared anew.

Just as before, it felt... inevitable.

Athena broke the kiss, her breath catching. A glimpse of uncertainty, or perhaps something deeper, played in her golden eyes. Seizing the moment, Callista leaned in, chasing Athena's lips with a newfound urgency.

"No take-backs," Callista growled, her gaze locked on Athena's lips, "professor."

A strangled moan escaped Athena as Callista trailed wet, feverish kisses down her neck. Fingernails dug into Callista's back in a fleeting moment of hesitation before giving way to a surge of heat. Athena's voice, laced with breathless amusement, rasped, "Are you certain a lesson is truly necessary?"

Callista's response was immediate, her desire for Athena consuming her every thought. With a firm and possessive squeeze of Athena's breast, she elicited a gasp from the vampire, quickly dissolving into a throaty moan as the hunter teased her firm nipples through the fabric of her clothing. 

Callista's voice dripped with desire as she whispered, "Restless already?" A surge of arousal lanced through Athena as Callista playfully flicked her fingertips against the hardened flesh.

But Athena wasn't about to relinquish control entirely. With a low growl that rumbled in her chest, a mix of raw hunger and steely resolve, she swiftly pinned Callista's wrists above her head.

"Let's not get carried away, shall we?" Athena purred. With a flick of her wrist, Athena unclasped her own silky dress, the material whispering against her smooth porcelain skin as it cascaded down her waist.

Callista's breath caught in her throat, untamed hunger igniting in her eyes as they devoured the captivating sight. The supple swell of Athena's breasts, barely concealed by the thin lace of her bra, teased her senses. A yearning, a desire to trace the contours of Athena's taut stomach with her tongue, to explore the smooth planes of Athena's bare curves, danced on the edge of her awareness.

The princess's fingers, usually possessed with practised grace, fumbled against a button on Callista's shirt. A sigh, laced with a hint of something more complex than just impatience, escaped her lips. With a determined movement, she finally undressed Callista, stripping her down to her black lace lingerie.

“Forgive my manners.”

Before Callista could respond, a shudder ran through her as the princess's kisses blazed a fiery path down her exposed flesh. Athena’s searing tongue traced every contour of her toned abdomen, dipping in her belly button sensually before slowly trailing upwards. A soft gasp escaped the hunter’s lips, caught between surprise and a surge of unexpected pleasure.

With a firm tug, the lace of Callista's bra gave way, mirroring the discarded shirt. Heat flooded her cheeks as a primal instinct urged her to shield herself. But Athena's hands were already at her wrists once again, a steely grip that held her captive.

Athena devoured the feast before her with raw, primal hunger. Her eyes, now darkened to amber, smouldered with a dark intensity. A slow glide of her tongue over her lips, an unconscious gesture, sent a tremor through Callista, anticipation tightening her breath.

The chamber's dim orange glow, filtered through the stained glass, cast an intimate light. Callista felt a flicker of self-consciousness under its soft luminescence. But then, a surprising shift in Athena's gaze. The coldness that usually resided there softened, a hint of something unexpected - affection.

"You..." Athena’s voice dropped to a husky murmur, "you captivate me."

A strangled sound escaped Callista's lips, caught between surprise and a traitorous hope.  "You're ... a riddle," she whispered, the word laced with a subtle tremor.

"A riddle?" Athena echoed. A playful glint flickered in her gaze, momentarily breaking the intensity. "Then let me be clear, I…" she murmured, her voice a husky whisper.

Athena's touch lingered on Callista's hand. A slow, deliberate movement followed, guiding Callista's hand suggestive path down the princess’s abdomen.

"Desire..." Athena breathed, a hitch caught in her voice. 

Callista's crimson eyes dilated. A torrent of emotions swirled within her as her fingertips brushed against the damp heat.

“You.” Athena finished.

Callista’s voice, barely audible above the frantic rhythm of her own heart, stammered, "You’re w-w..."

"Is the message received?" Athena purred, amusement lingering in her eyes. However, the smirk was fleeting, replaced by a sharp gasp as Callista's touch defied expectations.

“Crystal,” the hunter rasped. A sly grin, unexpected yet undeniably captivating, stretched across her face.

A tremor ran through Athena as the outline of her desire was teased through the delicate underwear. Surprise, perhaps even a flicker of vulnerability, crossed her features.

Callista, her own breath quickening, traced a sensual path beneath the silken barrier, her fingertip coated with Athena’s slick essence. Before she could delve deeper, Athena's lips were upon hers once more.

The kiss, this time, held a desperate urgency, a silent plea for a return to the previous dynamic. Callista's hand, still tingling from the touch of Athena’s wetness, instinctively moved up to cup the back of her head, deepening the kiss as their bare bodies pressed together in a fervent embrace.

The world seemed to shrink, their focus narrowing to the press of warmth against warmth. Intoxicating scents filled the air, a mix of sophisticated sandalwood and the delicate sweetness of lavender. The atmosphere crackled with a charged energy, sending shivers of anticipation through them. Athena, her eyes flashing with a dangerous glint, her touch was electric as she cupped Callista's breasts with a possessive grip.

A groan, a mix of surprise and dawning pleasure, escaped Callista's lips as Athena's touch tightened, the soft, firm flesh fitting perfectly in her palms. The hunter's back involuntarily arched against the bed as Athena's touch ignited a fire within her. Each caress, every flick of the princess’s fingers a deliberate brush of fire. A firm pull, a pinch, and Callista trembled with the rising heat.

Breaking the kiss, Athena's lips blazed down Callista's neck, leaving possessive marks in their wake. Her lips finally descended upon the rosy nipples, her warm breath ghosting over the sensitive flesh. With a flick of her tongue, Athena teased and licked the hardened bud, tracing small circles around it. The wetness of her tongue left a trail of arousal in its wake, intensifying the sensations and driving Callista wild with desire.

As Athena's fingers sank into Callista's other breast, tightening her grip, a mischievous grin played on her lips. She reveled in the younger woman's appreciative gasp, her teeth grazed the tip of Callista's nipple. With a gentle nip, she ignited primal pleasure and a hint of pain, only to soothe it with the warmth of her wet tongue.

Callista's moans echoed in the chamber. A delicious tension coiling in the air with each pull of Athena's lips, each flick of fingertips. A tremor ran through her as the intensity built, pushing Callista to the brink. With a final, powerful suck and a firm pinch, a tremor ripped through her. The climax, intense and unexpected, left her breathless.

Athena, surprised by the reaction, drew back. Fascination, perhaps even a glimpse of something deeper, lingered in her gaze as it met Callista's flushed face. Her lips quivered slightly as she rasped, “Did you just…”

Callista, caught between the aftershock of the touch and a surge of overwhelming desire, managed a husky plea, “Don't you dare stop.”

A genuine smile, devoid of its usual amusement, softened Athena's features. Leaning in once more, her voice a husky whisper against Callista's ear, "As you wish, My Lady."