I couldn't stop thinking about him.
Kael Thorne, the vampire whose touch haunted me like a phantom. His cold fingers still lingered on my skin, that sharp, possessive grip holding me tighter than any chains ever could. I had tried to convince myself that I was stronger than this, that I could resist him, but deep down, I knew the truth.
I was already his.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but not one of fear no, this was something darker. A forbidden longing that curled in my chest, a twisting ache that burned hotter than anything I had ever felt.
I had only been in Blackthorn Manor for a day, but it felt like I had crossed into another world. The silence here was suffocating, broken only by the occasional rustle of curtains in the wind, or the distant, hollow echo of footsteps in the hall. Time felt different in this place. Slow. Endless. And every moment, I felt Kael's presence like a shadow creeping along the edges of my mind.
I couldn't escape him.
I didn't want to.
That evening, after a restless night filled with dark dreams of his pale hands on me, I was summoned again.
A soft knock on my door.
I opened it cautiously, expecting perhaps a servant, but instead, Kael stood in the hallway, framed by the dim, flickering candlelight. He was impossibly beautiful, and it made my heart race just to look at him. His eyes, burning like molten amber, locked onto mine with an intensity that stole the breath from my lungs.
"I trust you slept well," he said, his voice low, the velvet of it curling around me like a caress.
I couldn't respond immediately. His presence was overwhelming and commanding. He made it impossible to think clearly.
"I" I started, but he silenced me with a glance, his gaze flicking to the empty space beside him.
"Come," he instructed, his voice like a soft, dangerous command. "I have something to show you."
Against my better judgment, I stepped forward, the compulsion to follow him growing stronger with each passing second. As I walked beside him, I could feel the heat of his body, though he never touched me. Not yet. The tension in the air crackled, making every movement feel loaded with meaning.
We passed through the dimly lit halls, the floorboards creaking beneath our feet. The atmosphere was thick, charged with an electric pulse that hummed beneath my skin.
Finally, we stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor. It was ornate, carved with intricate designs that looked both ancient and foreboding. Kael pushed the door open with a single motion, revealing a room that seemed to swallow the light from the hall.
Inside, the walls were lined with heavy, dark curtains, and the only illumination came from a low-burning fire in a hearth. The room was filled with plush velvet furniture, and the air carried the faint scent of incense. But it wasn't the decor that caught my attention, it was the large, circular bed in the center of the room, draped in deep red silk.
A bed fit for a king and a queen.
"You're wondering why I've brought you here," Kael's voice broke through my thoughts, his presence overwhelming as he stepped in behind me, closing the door softly.
I nodded, unable to find words. My heart was racing in my chest, every instinct telling me to flee, to escape this maddening pull. But I couldn't move. Not while he was so close.
"Don't worry, Seraphina," he whispered, his voice like silk and steel. "I won't bite you yet."
I froze. Bite me?
His words hung in the air, charged with an unmistakable promise. His eyes never left mine as he crossed the room, his movements smooth, predatory, like a panther stalking its prey. The firelight flickered off his pale skin, highlighting the sharp angles of his face.
"You came here willingly," he continued, stopping a few feet from me. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I couldn't speak. There was nothing I could say that would change the truth I was afraid of, yes. But not in the way I should be.
"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I'm not afraid."
He smiled, a slow, cruel curl of his lips. "Good. Because fear is only a game to me."
Before I could react, Kael moved again, faster than I could track. His fingers brushed the side of my face, cool as marble. I shuddered, the touch so intimate, so possessive, it made my knees feel weak.
"Tell me, Seraphina," he murmured, his lips inches from my ear, "do you want this?"
The question hung between us like a promise. A challenge. I swallowed hard, every part of me screaming to walk away, to resist. But as his hand slid down my throat, his thumb pressing lightly against my pulse, all I could do was nod.
"Yes," I whispered.
He laughed softly, a dark, husky sound that made my skin burn.
"I knew you would."
His hands moved with slow, deliberate grace, undoing the buttons of my blouse, each one a small surrender. The room seemed to spin, my thoughts becoming disjointed, scattered as he undressed me revealing my skin inch by inch to his gaze.
When I was standing before him, bare and trembling, Kael took a step back, admiring me. His eyes roamed over my body, hungry and possessive, as if he were savoring the very sight of me. His gaze lingered on my chest, the swell of my breasts, the curve of my hips.
"You're perfect," he said, voice thick with desire.
And then he reached for me.
Kael's lips brushed against mine, cold and demanding, sending a rush of heat through my veins. I gasped into the kiss, my hands moving to his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his fine clothing. He pulled me closer, one hand sliding down my back, pressing me against him as the kiss deepened, his tongue claiming mine in a way that made my head spin.
"You're mine," he whispered against my lips, his voice dark with certainty. "And I will make sure you never forget it."
The kiss turned ravenous, urgent, as he guided me back toward the bed. The air between us seemed to hum with an electric charge, each movement bringing us closer to something inevitable, something dangerous.
I could hardly breathe. The space between us seemed to crackle with an unbearable tension, a magnetism that pulled me closer to him with every passing second. Kael's cold hands, strong and relentless, guided me to the edge of the bed. His touch was as possessive as it was tender, as though he were savoring every moment of my surrender.
My heart pounded in my chest, but it wasn't from fear anymore. It was from the way his presence wrapped around me, a dark, suffocating embrace I couldn't escape, nor did I want to.
"Lie back," he commanded, his voice thick with an almost predatory hunger.
I hesitated only for a second before I obeyed, the silky sheets brushing against my bare skin as I reclined onto the plush mattress. Kael stood over me for a moment, his eyes scanning every inch of me with an intensity that made my body burn. He moved with a deliberate slowness, as though savoring the power he held over me. And in that moment, I realized just how completely I was at his mercy.
He knelt beside the bed, his hands running over the silk covers, his fingers tracing the delicate embroidery. His gaze remained fixed on me, as though I were the only thing that mattered in the world. His lips parted, revealing the slightest hint of sharp, white fangs promises of what was to come.
"You don't understand what you're asking for, Seraphina," he whispered, his voice husky and low, laced with a dark, dangerous thrill. "But I'm going to show you."
Before I could respond, he leaned over me, his body hovering inches above mine. I could feel the coldness of his skin as he brushed against me, sending a shiver of both dread and anticipation through my entire being. His lips hovered just above my neck, his breath cold and steady, as though he were drawing in my scent, savoring it.
"You smell of desire," he murmured, his voice a whisper that made my spine tingle. "But you also smell of fear. It excites me."
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my racing heart, but it was useless. The thudding in my chest only grew louder the longer he lingered, his words sinking deep into me. It was as though every inch of my body was attuned to him, responding to his presence in a way I couldn't control. The hunger in his eyes was so palpable, so consuming, that it terrified me. And yet, I couldn't tear my gaze away.
Kael's hand slid gently up my thigh, fingers cold against my warm skin. I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. He took his time, moving with such deliberate slowness that it made my skin ache in anticipation. His touch was a whisper of what was to come, and it left a trail of heat in its wake.
"You belong to me now," he said again, his voice thick with a dark promise.
His hand slid lower, his fingers tracing the line of my body, inching ever closer to the place where I burned for him. I gasped as his fingers brushed over the sensitive skin between my legs, a shock of pleasure and longing surging through me. My body trembled at his touch, betraying me in ways I couldn't explain.
"You feel it too," he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. "You can't deny it. You want me."
I closed my eyes, the intensity of the moment making it impossible to think. He was right. The need for him pulsed through me, a deep, insatiable hunger I couldn't fight. And as much as I tried to resist, I couldn't. I was already lost to him.
His fingers moved with excruciating slowness, teasing me, making me ache for more. I arched my back slightly, pushing myself closer to him, my body craving his touch in ways I couldn't explain. The pressure between my thighs built, a slow burn that sent ripples of heat through my entire being.
"You want to be mine," he said, his voice a low growl of satisfaction. "And you will be."
With that, he pressed his lips to my neck, his fangs grazing against my skin. A sharp, electric thrill shot through me, making my heart race even faster. I could feel the coolness of his breath against my skin, and I knew, in that moment, that I was completely at his mercy.
"I will mark you," he whispered, his voice thick with lust and desire. "Your blood will be mine, just as you will be mine."
I closed my eyes, the weight of his words sinking deep into my soul. A strange thrill coursed through me, something dark and wild, and the thought of him marking me, claiming me, filled me with a sick, twisted pleasure.
Kael's hand continued its exploration, moving lower until his fingers slipped between my legs, his touch sending waves of heat and desire through me. I gasped, my body trembling beneath his touch, as he teased me, never giving me enough of what I needed.
"Please, I whispered, unable to stop myself. "I need you."
His lips curved into a cruel smile, a predatory gleam flashing in his eyes. "You'll have me. In time."
He moved lower, trailing his lips down my neck, across my collarbone, until his mouth hovered just above my chest. I could feel his fangs, cold and sharp, just millimeters from my skin. I shuddered, my b
ody trembling with anticipation, with fear, with desire.
Then, with a sudden, swift motion, he sank his fangs into my flesh.