The bond with Kael changed everything.
I could feel him even when he wasn't near his thoughts brushing the edge of mine, his emotions bleeding into my skin like ink in water. He no longer needed to speak to command me. One glance, one whisper in my mind, and I obeyed.
But part of me wanted to disobey.
Because part of me was growing stronger,
Hungrier.
More dangerous.
I didn't just crave blood anymore. I craved power. Control. And I could feel it humming in my bones, growing each night I fed, each time Kael took me, each time I drank from him.
I wasn't his toy anymore.
I was something else.
Something new.
Kael didn't visit the next night. He didn't need to. I knew where he was.
The bond throbbed in my chest distant, focused, predatory. He was hunting. But not for food.
For someone.
And I wasn't invited.
It stung more than it should have. But I used the silence to explore the city at night, now fully awakened to the predator's world. I could hear every heartbeat on the street. I could smell lust, fear, desire, all flavors, all intoxicating.
That's when I saw him.
The stranger.
He leaned against a rusted lamp post just beyond the edge of the club where I'd fed the night before. He was tall, wrapped in a charcoal coat, cigarette smoldering between his fingers. His eyes glinted silver in the dark inhuman.
He wasn't mortal. That much I knew.
And he was watching me.
I approached him slowly, fingers curling in readiness.
"Not bad," he said as I neared. "You walk like a predator now."
I narrowed my gaze. "Who are you?"
"A friend," he said, voice smooth. "Or maybe a threat. Depends on how you behave."
My fangs ached.
"I don't take threats lightly."
Neither does Kael,he replied. "Which is why he hasn't told you what you really are."
I froze.
What?
The man dropped his cigarette, crushing it beneath his boot. "You think this is about a lover's bond? That Kael chose you out of romance? He laughed. "Sweet girl. You're a piece on a board far bigger than you understand."
What do you know?
"I know you're not Kael's first. Or his last. And you've got more inside you than vampire venom."
He took a step closer. I didn't flinch.
"You dream of fire, don't you?" he whispered. "Of wings. Of things you can't explain."
My breath hitched.
Because I had. Ever since the second bite, the dreams had changed. A dark sky. Red moons. Screaming. Wings.
And something inside me calling to the dark.
"What are you saying?"
He smiled. "You're not just turning, Seraphina. You're awakening. And when you do, Kael won't be able to control you."
Then, without another word, he vanished into smoke.
I returned home shaking.
I didn't tell Kael.
I didn't have to. He was already waiting.
He stepped from the shadows like a phantom, his expression unreadable. You met someone tonight.
"You were watching?"
"I felt it. Through the bond."
I crossed my arms. "Do you spy on all your lovers?"
Only the dangerous ones, he said coldly.
I expected anger. Jealousy. Possession.
But what I saw in Kael's eyes was fear.
Real, flickering fear.
"Who was he?" I asked.
Kael turned away, jaw tight. "Someone who should've stayed buried."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Kael faced me again. "You need to understand something, Seraphina. You were not chosen randomly. I sought you out. I tasted your blood and found more than a vampire. I found something ancient."
My skin prickled. What am I?
He touched my cheek, gently. "A storm. A weapon. A goddess, maybe."
"That doesn't sound like love."
"It's not." His smile was sharp. It's an obsession.
Later that night, I lay in bed with his arms around me and his lips against my neck. He didn't sleep. I could feel it. He was looking out the window. Listening to the dark.
"Kael," I whispered. "Will you ever tell me the truth?"
His silence was answer enough.
And I knew then
Kael had secrets.
And I wasn't the only thing in this city waking up.
A knock came at the door.
Kael stiffened, eyes flashing red. Stay here.
But something called to me. A whisper. A voice I'd never heard before… yet somehow recognized.
I opened the door before he could stop me.
And standing there was a woman.
Dressed in red. Eyes black as coal. A cruel, beautiful smile curling her lips.
"Hello, daughter," she said.
And the world split open.
She stood in the doorway like a curse given form.
Tall. Regal. Drenched in crimson silk that clung to her curves like blood to skin. Her eyes black, bottomless stared into mine with a knowing that reached deeper than any vampire's gaze. Her lips curled in a smirk so familiar it made my stomach twist.
"Daughter?" I echoed, barely a whisper.
Kael was beside me in an instant, a blur of fury. He shoved me behind him, his fangs bared. "Lilith."
The woman smiled wider. Still guarding your pretty little toys, Kael?
He didn't answer. But I could feel the rage vibrating off him. Not fear this time hatred.
Lilith stepped forward, her gaze flicking past him to me. "I wondered how long it would take you to awaken. I should've known he'd try to keep you caged."
"I don't know you," I said, but the lie tasted sour.
Because deep in my bones, I did.
Lilith tilted her head. Oh, but your blood does. Your dreams do.
Kael's voice was a growl. She's not ready.
She was born ready, Lilith hissed. You can't keep her from who she truly is.
Kael raised a hand, summoning dark energy I hadn't seen before. Shadows bled from his skin like smoke.
Lilith didn't flinch.
She looked at me once more. "You'll come to me, Seraphina. When you're tired of lies and leashes."
Then she vanished in a pulse of red light leaving silence and the faint scent of roses behind.
Kael turned slowly, fury barely contained. You don't have to speak to her. You shouldn't think of her. She's poisonous."
Who is she? I asked, my voice shaking. Why did she call me her daughter?
He stared at me, something dark flickering in his eyes.
She's not your mother, Seraphina. But you were made from her. And if she truly gets to you, it'll be the end of everything."