Feverish kisses rained down on sensitive pulse points, a desperate attempt to both soothe and ignite. Crimson love bites bloomed on the princess's creamy skin, possessive reminders for anyone who dared to look.

 "How permanent are these?" Callista murmured, tracing the marks with a feather-light touch.

"Just a few hours," Athena sighed, her gaze locked on Callista's lips, which were now a swollen, tempting crimson. "Marking me again, are you?" A ghost of a smile played on her lips. "And with such... enthusiasm."

Callista's touch lingered, a spark igniting at the sensitive junction of Athena's neck and shoulder. "They'll fade," she rasped, teeth grazing at the place where her touch trailed. “Then again, I can always make more." 

Before Athena could respond, Callista nipped at the spot, painting fresh marks on Athena's smooth skin. 

Seizing her chance, Callista reached for the princess's dress. With a slow, deliberate movement, she tugged the neckline down, the lace of her bra following suit. Callista's fingertips brushed tantalisingly close to the taut flesh, sending a tremor through Athena's form. 

A gasp of cool air mingled with the heat radiating off Athena's flushed skin as a glimpse of creamy flesh was revealed to the afternoon sun.

Crimson eyes flared a shade darker as she drank in the temptation laid bare. Wasting no time, she captured the offered rosy peak in her mouth, in a slow, indulgent pull. 

A satisfied smirk tugged at her lips as Athena's muffled moan turned into a helpless sigh.

Molten kisses blazed a trail across the valley of Athena's breasts. Crimson bloomed in the wake of Callista's fervent caresses. As the hunter's tongue swirled over a hardened peak, a tremor of vulnerability flickered across Athena's face, reflected for a fleeting moment in her golden eyes before she masked it with a throaty purr that vibrated through Callista. 

"Impatient, are we?" Athena teased, her fingers weaved through the silky strand, caressing Callista's scalp in a gesture both playful and strangely intimate.

Callista let out a husky growl. Her hand squeezed firmly on Athena's breast, eliciting a soft moan that escaped the princess' lips despite her best efforts. 

"Just tired of being the sole recipient," Callista countered, her voice thick with a newfound confidence. Yet, a tremor in her hand betrayed a nervous excitement.

"Speaking of," Athena breathed, "the curiosity..." The playful bite on her lip masking a more serious question.

“What are you-,” Callista's grip tightened involuntarily, her face betraying the onset of panic. "I lied," she blurted, the admission tumbling out in a rush.

"Why?" 

Callista's fingers trailed a scorching path down Athena's side, igniting a constellation of goosebumps in their wake. Reaching Athena's bare thigh, the air crackled with untamed desire.

"Remember that day," Callista muttered, a hint of frustration flirting with her voice, "when you warned me about the dangers of... affection?" She trailed off, a touch of vulnerability peeking through. "My feelings..."

A tender smile tugged on Athena's lips. She surged forward before Callista could finish, silencing her with a searing kiss. "Seems I'm the culprit," she murmured, "perhaps my warnings weren't entirely... sincere."

Callista's face twisted in a mixture of frustration and hope. "Does that mean...?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Say it clearly, Athena. Please."

Athena met her gaze, a playful glint dancing in her eyes. "That, my dear Astra," she whispered, "is something you'll have to decipher between the lines."

The corner of Callista's mouth quivered, caught between a grimace and a smile. "Riddles, it seems, are still your favourite game, Princess."

"Let's just say," Athena began, her voice dropping to a husky purr, "decoding a hidden message can be... more stimulating than a blatant one." Her eyes flickered down to Callista's hand, hovering daringly close to the lace hem of her underwear.

Callista arched one eyebrow, her expression a mixture of amusement and smouldering desire. Rather than responding with words, she surged forward to capture Athena's mouth in a searing kiss. 

The vampire moaned softly into the heated embrace, fingers tangling in midnight tresses as Callista's tongue swept past her parted lips. 

In one fluid motion, Callista scooped Athena up and strode towards the long oak table dominating the center of the library's main hall. Books and scattered research materials clattered to the floor, forgotten.

"Decoding it is," the hunter murmured, the words a rumbling vibration against the vampire's pulse point.

With surprising gentleness, she deposited Athena atop the aged wood before stepping between her parted thighs. Her fingertips teased fire across Athena's inner thighs, coaxing them wider in unabashed invitation.

Athena glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window, a flicker of reason momentarily breaking through the fog of desire. 

"This captivating... conversation," Athena murmured, "deserves a more 'intimate' setting. One where we can explore the subject matter... thoroughly."

A shuddering whimper tore free as the hunter's fingertips grazed the damp silk shielding Athena's core. Athena bit her lip, desperate to stifle a groan.

"Like this, you mean?" Callista rasped. 

A mischievous glint danced in her gaze as she swiped her thumb across the thin barrier. The pressure tightened the fabric, straining against the outline of Athena's swollen core, a tantalising glimpse just out of reach, for now.

A delicious shiver racked Athena as she arched instinctively, torn between the exquisite pleasure and the vulnerability of their exposed position by the window. Her gaze flicked back to Callista, the sight stole her breath. A blush, adorable in its defiance, crept up Callista's neck despite the predator's confidence etched on her face. 

A thrilling contradiction. How utterly captivating.

A jolt of raw hunger shot through Callista as a sliver of pink flesh peeked through the lace, igniting an inferno in her core. Her fingers trembled, yearning to tear away the barrier. Just as they brushed the edge, a strong hand clamped onto her wrist. The touch was firm, a subtle reminder of the power Athena still held.

"Not here," Athena sighed, a hint of amusement sparkling in her golden eyes. With practised grace, she slipped from Callista's grasp, the sudden loss of contact a jolt to the hunter.

Possessiveness flared in Callista, a snarl almost escaping her lips. In a single, predatory motion, she lunged, pinning Athena against the cool surface of the bookshelf. The ancient tomes groaned in protest as Callista's heat pressed against Athena's back.

Athena gasped, the stark contrast between the cool wood and Callista's searing touch stealing her breath. "Continue this... in my chambers," Athena whispered, her voice a husky counterpoint to Callista's ragged breaths.

She reached up, tugging a stray strand of Callista's hair behind her ear. The unexpected tenderness in Athena's touch ignited a whimper from the usually stoic hunter.

"Athena," Callista growled, "I'm not moving until I..." Her hand, trembling slightly, grazed Athena's hip, then dipped down, clumsily pulling at the drenched fabric of her underwear. The friction ignited a fresh spark of desire in Athena. "...taste you,” Callista finished, her voice a low plea. 

"Now."