Aurelia’s POVThe city lights blurred into golden streaks as I stared out the window, my body curled into the seat, trembling with the force of my sobs. My breath came in broken gasps, raw and aching, but no matter how hard I tried to hold it together, the pain kept spilling out. The car moved too fast, yet not fast enough to outrun the agony splintering inside me. It took every ounce of willpower not to scream at my driver to turn around. To take me back. Back to the man who destroyed me, yet made me feel more alive than anything ever had. Abaddon. My lips trembled as I squeezed my eyes shut. I could still feel him—his touch, the way his hands had burned against my skin, his mouth devouring me like he owned me, like I mattered. Last night, he had looked at me. Not just as something to possess, to claim—but as something more. And I had believed it. God, I had been so stupid. The memory of her on her knees, her mouth wrapped around him, hit me like a blade to the gut.
Hours passed, my body drenched in sweat, the air around me thick and suffocating. I hadn’t moved. I just sat there, curled in on myself, trapped in a whirlwind of thoughts. My mind raced in circles, desperate, hopelessly waiting for a miracle that would never come. But what hope was there for me? My own father had orchestrated my abduction, hand in hand with an enemy he once called a friend. The betrayal was a slow, gnawing ache inside me, a sickness that spread through my veins with every passing second. My hands trembled as I clutched my knees, breath uneven. Had Abaddon known about this? Was this some twisted game he and his family were playing? I squeezed my eyes shut, the weight of the truth crushing me. No one was coming. I knew that. I was alone. And if I wanted to escape this nightmare—if I wanted to survive whatever they had planned for me—I had to act fast. I had to *think*. But *how*? The tiny window in the bathroom was my only view of the outside world, a
Abaddon’s POVFucking shit! I cursed for the millionth time, slamming my fist against the dashboard. Every single lead turned up empty. Every location I could think of—clear. Nothing. No good news. Not even a damn whisper of where she was. I was losing my fucking mind. Two days. Two fucking days without a trace of her. And I had no idea how she was, no idea what he had done to her. The thought of it clawed at my insides, ripping me apart from the inside out. This was my fault. I should have never let her leave. I should have dragged her back, no matter how much she fought me. But I held back—for her sake. For her fucking sanity. And look where it got us. I fucked up. I can admit that now. Aurelia should never have seen that twisted little scene with Morri. But she did. And now, everything was falling apart. My plan to make her desire me, to make her crave me as much as I craved her—it was in fucking shambles. All my life, I have lived for the clan. For my father. For his
Aurelia's POVThe all-white glass house stood before me, gleaming under the sun, reflecting the endless stretch of ocean surrounding the island. My lips parted slightly as I took it in—the sleek architecture, the way it seemed to rise effortlessly from the landscape, an untouchable masterpiece. I hated to admit it, but Abaddon had done well for himself. Not that I'd ever tell him. I trailed behind him as he carried our bags upstairs, my eyes scanning the interior. It was pristine, modern, yet somehow intimate. The floor-to-ceiling windows framed the ocean like a painting, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the silence. He caught my gaze, his smirk—the same smug, infuriating smirk—curling onto his lips. For a moment, the familiarity of it knocked the breath out of me. Everything that had happened between us—the pain, the betrayal, the undeniable pull—I felt it all at once. "It's cool," I muttered when he asked if I liked the place. His smirk deepened.
Darkness stretched endlessly, swallowing me whole. It was vast, suffocating, consuming—so deep that I couldn’t tell if I had fallen into hell or if this was some twisted version of heaven. Neither felt welcoming. My body ached, a deep, punishing ache that settled in my bones as I tried to move. Then, the whispers. Hushed voices slithered through the darkness, barely audible but there. *"She's waking up…"* A rush of movement. A presence beside me. "Hey. How do you feel?" The voice was familiar, pulling at something buried deep inside me. My eyes fluttered open, barely slits, still blurred and unfocused from the nothingness I’d been drowning in. "You’ve been out all day," the voice continued. Then, the press of cool glass against my lips. Urging. Insistent. I drank without question, my throat raw and parched, the water sliding down like salvation. "Where… am I?" My voice was barely a croak, my mind clawing at fragmented memories, trying to stitch together the chaos. "We’re
Abaddon’s POVShe fucking saw me. That was never how I wanted her to find out. Not like this. Not with the horror carved into her face, not with the fear in her eyes. It triggered something deep inside me—something violent, something primal. But not against her. Never against her. I would kill for her. I had killed for her. She must know this, right? The car sped down the darkened streets, the cold night air cutting through the windows like a blade. I barely felt it. My mind was a storm, my thoughts clawing at me from the inside. My father and his men should have fucking known better. They should have realized by now—I would never let them have her. Never let them hurt her. All my life, it had been about the clan. About duty. About fucking rules. For once, I was doing something that wasn’t for them. It was for her. I clenched my jaw, watching the shadowed town blur past through the window, but Kiwor’s voice cut through my thoughts like a knife. “We’re here,” he announce
Seconds passed before he blinked away, his gaze slipping from mine. Avoiding. Hiding. I needed to know the truth—if only for my sanity. The Abaddon I knew never cared about me, not truly. It had always been a game to him. His blackmail. His cruelty. The countless times he made me cry. So why? Why risk so much to save me now? My voice shook, but I forced it out. "You say your father and your clan want me—that they'd hurt me. And I’ve seen it. I know how far they’ll go. But he’s your father, and they’re your people. So why defy them just for me? Why are you doing all of this?" I was spiraling, my mind unraveling thread by thread, losing all sense of logic. "Because it's the right thing to do." His voice was quiet, but the weight of it pressed against my chest. He turned away, his hands gripping the steel railing so hard his knuckles turned white. I saw the anger flicker behind his composed mask, the way he fought to keep it buried. He was exhausted, the kind of exhaustion that
Of all the myths I’ve heard, the bloodsuckers were the last I ever expected to encounter in this lifetime. It still feels like a goddamn movie. I’m trying—failing—to process the secrets I’ve uncovered. In just a few days, everything I knew about my life flipped. And now there’s some flimsy curse to break, one I know nothing about. The worst part? The fucking leader of a vampire clan is on my trail.It’s been five days. Five goddamn days since that conversation on the terrace. We’re still holed up on his private island, surrounded by silence and secrets. But I’ve learned more about their kind than I ever wanted to know.What shocked me most? Almost everyone at school is a vampire. Everyone. Black High was founded by Mr. Lucian right after his son was born—at least, according to Abaddon. I nearly choked on my juice when he casually admitted that the group, my so-called friends, were part of the clan. Born into the bloodline. All this time, I’ve laughed with, cried with, *trusted* the
The wind lashed against my skin as we sped down the deserted road in his Jeep. The sky above was cloaked in an ominous dark veil, mirroring the chaos churning inside my mind. Emotions clawed their way out of me in silent, violent waves, and though I tried to bury them, I knew he felt every single one. Hot glances slid my way, full of questions he didn’t ask out loud—until a cool hand slid over mine, anchoring me. I looked down at our intertwined fingers, then up at his face. He was watching me, his gaze intense yet heartbreakingly calm. Somehow, the world dulled when I looked at him. His sharp cheekbones, that perfectly sculpted jawline, and those haunted eyes—all of it stole the breath from my lungs.I could stare at this man for hours and still not have enough. That’s how far gone I was. Maybe that mate bond he spoke of wasn’t a myth after all. Because what I felt? It was too real. Too consuming.But even the strongest bonds couldn’t erase the pain of today. My mind kept slipping
Aurelia’s POV“How much did you hear?” His voice cracked through the silence like a whip, sharp and sudden, slicing through the tension that clung to the air after Kiwor’s departure.“Just enough,” I whispered.His jaw flexed. “Ignore him. Kiwor’s just bitter his cock hasn’t been sucked in days.” A bitter chuckle followed, dry and empty like the wind that blows through graves.“Abaddon, please…” My voice broke, and I hated it. My tears, traitorous and hot, betrayed me again.“I’m sorry,” he said, softer now. His hand found my face, cold fingers brushing away my tears like they were something sacred. “If I’d gone inside when Huron first mentioned it, maybe all of this—maybe none of this would’ve happened.”His touch burned and froze me all at once. I trembled beneath it.“It’s in the past now, Elia,” he murmured, as if that could erase the images seared behind my eyelids. “Don’t carry guilt that isn’t yours.”“But what if you hadn’t made it on time?” I swallowed hard, voice catching.
Abaddon’s POVFor a vast moment, I’m stunned. When it hit me—the struggle, the worry, the wrenching pain in my gut—I didn’t know what to do with it. This was new. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever felt before, because I felt it *all.* Her fear. Her pain. And it slammed into me, sudden and brutal.She was in trouble.My cold blood... it nearly boiled. I could feel it heat, tremble beneath my skin as her scent pulled me forward—dragged me like a tether into the woods behind the house.And then I saw it.My mate—*my mate*—being chased. A bear. A furious, wild-looking thing with eyes that burned with rage.Fear gripped me, sharp and punishing, when I caught the scent of her blood. It was heavy. Thick. Overwhelming. It clogged the air, soaked into everything around me. I could *feel* it. And I knew—every vampire even remotely near would’ve sensed it too.Gods, it was so enticing.Huron... he hadn’t learned control yet. Poor kid. I couldn’t blame him. I could barely manage it myself, and I’d
Aurelia’s POVThe cold bit into my skin as I stood frozen, snow crunching beneath my bare feet. The air tasted sharp, almost metallic, as my gaze clung to Huron’s back. His form was tense, shoulders stiff, fangs bared, facing down the massive wall of white fur just a few feet ahead. A polar bear—no, something more. Its breath steamed in thick, huffing clouds, dark eyes locked on the boy in front of me.“Huron,” I whispered, but the name burned my throat.The beast lunged.He moved fast, too fast for my human eyes to fully comprehend. One moment he was standing still, the next, he launched himself at the bear, his claws slicing at its face. Blood splattered across the snow, steaming as it landed. The bear roared, swiping at Huron with such force he flew backward into a snowbank with a grunt that made my stomach churn.“No! Huron!” My scream echoed through the woods, strangled and wild.He staggered to his feet, already rushing back in. He wasn’t strong enough—I saw it. The bear rear
Aurelia’s POVThis might be the first time I’d ever realized that having your feelings truly reciprocated can feel like the closest thing to heaven in a world like this. It’s wild—funny, even—to think that from the very first time I saw him make that entrance into the cafeteria, I already liked him. The pull was magnetic, violent. The strings yanked hard, dragging my soul toward him while I stayed behind, watching from the shadows. I desired him in silence, craved him in secret, until that night he finally approached me. His blackmail had come from a place of pent-up fury, directed straight at my family. It was cruel. Dark. Twisted. And yet, I still found myself staying up late, waiting for the next chapter in his cruelty. And maybe it’s sick—maybe it’s *wrong*—but deep down I *enjoyed* most of the torture he put me through. I never admitted it before, but now it’s starting to make sense. This bond he speaks of… it must be the reason I’ve always wanted him so desperately. It’
Like an obsessed man, I tore her clothes—ripping every thread, every fabric into shreds beneath my greedy hands. Her gasp didn’t stop me—it fueled me. My lips latched onto a taut nipple, sucking hard, flicking my tongue over her sensitive bud until her body trembled. For ten long days. Ten brutal, hungry days without her warmth. I’d starved for her—craved her like a man on the verge of death. But I’d given her space. I had to. There was no question. Still, it tore me apart. I missed her so much it burned. Stars, I missed her wet, silken warmth. Missed the soft moans only I could draw out of her. Just like now. As my mouth worked her tender breast, she whimpered and arched, made just for me. There was no denying it. She belonged to me. My sanity cracked two days ago when I caught the scent of her arousal. The sounds from the bathroom... I knew she was showering, but my feet moved on their own. The door—unlocked. And fuck, I peeked. She was sprawled in the tub, eyes close
Of all the myths I’ve heard, the bloodsuckers were the last I ever expected to encounter in this lifetime. It still feels like a goddamn movie. I’m trying—failing—to process the secrets I’ve uncovered. In just a few days, everything I knew about my life flipped. And now there’s some flimsy curse to break, one I know nothing about. The worst part? The fucking leader of a vampire clan is on my trail.It’s been five days. Five goddamn days since that conversation on the terrace. We’re still holed up on his private island, surrounded by silence and secrets. But I’ve learned more about their kind than I ever wanted to know.What shocked me most? Almost everyone at school is a vampire. Everyone. Black High was founded by Mr. Lucian right after his son was born—at least, according to Abaddon. I nearly choked on my juice when he casually admitted that the group, my so-called friends, were part of the clan. Born into the bloodline. All this time, I’ve laughed with, cried with, *trusted* the
Seconds passed before he blinked away, his gaze slipping from mine. Avoiding. Hiding. I needed to know the truth—if only for my sanity. The Abaddon I knew never cared about me, not truly. It had always been a game to him. His blackmail. His cruelty. The countless times he made me cry. So why? Why risk so much to save me now? My voice shook, but I forced it out. "You say your father and your clan want me—that they'd hurt me. And I’ve seen it. I know how far they’ll go. But he’s your father, and they’re your people. So why defy them just for me? Why are you doing all of this?" I was spiraling, my mind unraveling thread by thread, losing all sense of logic. "Because it's the right thing to do." His voice was quiet, but the weight of it pressed against my chest. He turned away, his hands gripping the steel railing so hard his knuckles turned white. I saw the anger flicker behind his composed mask, the way he fought to keep it buried. He was exhausted, the kind of exhaustion that
Abaddon’s POVShe fucking saw me. That was never how I wanted her to find out. Not like this. Not with the horror carved into her face, not with the fear in her eyes. It triggered something deep inside me—something violent, something primal. But not against her. Never against her. I would kill for her. I had killed for her. She must know this, right? The car sped down the darkened streets, the cold night air cutting through the windows like a blade. I barely felt it. My mind was a storm, my thoughts clawing at me from the inside. My father and his men should have fucking known better. They should have realized by now—I would never let them have her. Never let them hurt her. All my life, it had been about the clan. About duty. About fucking rules. For once, I was doing something that wasn’t for them. It was for her. I clenched my jaw, watching the shadowed town blur past through the window, but Kiwor’s voice cut through my thoughts like a knife. “We’re here,” he announce