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51|A Better Story
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2024-10-29 19:42:56~Rory~
“The blood stink,” Paul informed our colleagues from homicide who will take over Zwick’s case from us.
I couldn’t even look Paul in the eye, knowing that I’ll only find an unthinkable amount of questions in his blue hues, questions I don’t have the answers to. I came charging head first, permitting my emotions to take over my body instead of using my brain like a reasonable police officer.
Yes, I might know the law, but bending it to my will had never been my forte. To abide and implement it has always been my only rule in life; now, I feel like I’m the one who needs to hide from the duty I promised to perform.
Gilroy, the homicide detective, turned to fire questions at me, but Paul cut him off before he could mumble two w
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Hellbound: The Last Tribute 52|Can We Still Cuddle?
~Rory~Lost in two pools of worried gray hues, I skipped the stairs leading down to Zwick’s lawn, crossed the beating pellets of rain, barreled into Elijah’s arms. He kept us from tumbling over with the impact of our body clashing, wrapping an arm around my waist; his familiar embrace enveloped me.“Hey-“ I didn’t allow him to finish whatever he wanted to say and smashed our lips together.Here in his arms, with the warmth of his body and softness of his lips pressed against my own, I felt safe. His presence was the only solace I needed in these fucked up circumstances.He kissed me gently, his hand on my waist moved to cradle the back of my head to gain better access to my mouth.“Elijah,&
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 53|Pleasant Shift
~Rory~In the mansion, Nolani’s familiar embrace instantly enveloped me the moment I stepped inside.“I was looking for a girl’s night out,” she pouts, “but I cooked bistecca alla fiorentina for you.” She hooked an arm with mine, tugging me along with her to the kitchen, where we found Henry, drinking beer.“Hey, Rory,” greeted Henry, a frown wrinkling his forehead. He was in his usual dressed-down clothing of shirt, sweats, and robe, but I noticed one side of his ash gray curls had been burned, fresh from what it looked.“Hey, Henry. What happened to your - oh my god!” I squeaked when all of a sudden, another man appeared behind Henry.I jumped behind Nolani fast li
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 54|Gut Feel
~Elijah~I told myself to take things slowly. Care for Rory like she was a delicate flower that needed the gentlest touch. She’s in a shaky situation right now. I can sense it; her desire to be with me, the push to run away from this unknown reality of the supernatural world, and the pull of our mate bond.But goddamn it! She won’t stop testing my control. Being this close to her is thrashing my sense of right and wrong to dust.She squirmed beneath me, not to get free but to rub her body on mine like a feline. I had her legs trapped between mine, but she arched her body like a sneaky vixen, her core rubbing against my cock. It jumped to attention as if it had a mind of its own and knew how close this woman, my mate, was to me.“Fucking hell, Rory,&rdqu
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 55|Poking The Beast
~Rory~I’ve been watching Elijah sleep, fascinated by how calm and serene his face was. I didn’t even know that vampires sleep as well. Sure they need to rest, but he kind of snores, which I found so damn adorable.Smiling to myself, I bit my lip and traced his face with my eyes. His dark curls had fallen in waves, covering almost half of his face. Long dark lashes kissed his cheeks, concealing his steely gray eyes I love staring at me with fondness. Soft freckles dusted the perfect slope of his nose, leading down to his slightly parted lips.I couldn’t help it. I reached to gather his hair, tucking the soft fallen curls in the back of his ears.He stirred awake, eyelids parting, as I smiled shyly for waking him up. “Hi.”
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 56|Second Phase
~Rory~Crickets. Thousands of them singing inside my head.Of all the possible conclusions of this prophecy, me being a sacrificial lamb has never crossed my mind.“Fuck,” Elijah rubbed his hand over his face, looking at me with clouded emotions.“I...” I swallowed hard, groping blindly for the back of the chair within my reach, grabbing onto it; the marbled floor beneath my feet turned to puddles. It makes sense now. The gruesome deaths, the six-pointed star carving on each victim’s forehead, the missing hearts... It’s a sacrificial ritual. “Your soul,” I murmured, each puzzle piece slotting together now. “I am your twin flame, and my death will complete your soul.”
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 57|Cage
~Rory~Elijah’s kisses had always been out of this world. The kind that turned my knees to jelly and muscles to mush. However, this one was different. It’s not only emotionally exhilarating but there was a physical charge of electricity that cascaded from where our skin touched to my entire body.Prickles of gentle fire ignited under my skin, setting my world to burn with flames of impetuous passion. It was uncontrollable. Each slide of Elijah’s lips against my own had my heartbeat walloping wildly.My blood simmered - literally - I had to set my hand on Elijah’s chest, needing space to breathe. It was too intense; the emotions enveloped me.“Focus on me,” he murmured, hooking his thumb under my chin. His eyes clouded with affection, h
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 58|The Situation
~Rory~ I hope I had lost count of how many times I watched Elijah drown; the darkness devouring us together, but to no avail. My consciousness of the agonizing torment remained intact every time we’d go back to the beginning, knowing where we would end. I was exasperated by not finding out the solution to our recurring situation. This is my cage. Elijah cited this repeatedly through the past fourteen sequences of us living and dying, but I still haven’t figured out the problem that needs to be solved. My tears were real. My fear and pain of losing Elijah were real, but why is it that all my efforts into saving him were futile? We went back in circles, an actual limbo of death and life. “Elijah…” I clung to him. Every par
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 59|For Argument’s Sake
~Rory~ “Is something wrong?” I asked, growing conscious of the way everyone was gazing at me. I sat up straight, pushing a lock of my golden hair out of my face. I froze, twirling a few more locks so I could scrutinize it. I was struck dumb when I realized I didn’t see things the wrong way. Indeed, my hair was gold. Frantic, heart pounding in my chest, I took a few more strands. They were golden, like the streak of the sun passing through the mountain pass at the crack of dawn. In search of an explanation, I met Elijah’s gaze. “Leave us,” he said. Ali vanished into thin air while Nolani and Henry exited the room through the door. Jace, however, didn’t leave as uncoerced as everyone else.
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Hellbound: The Last Tribute 101|A Lost Hero
“Jace…” “Sh…” I cooed, kissing her quivering lips. Her cheeks were wet from crying. I wiped it away with my thumb as our lips grew frantic, unwilling to pull apart. Her kiss was different. It wasn’t of love but of sadness, of fear. Fear of what? I do not know. “I love you, Aurora,” I said, cupping her face. “I will come back.” “There must be another way….” She whimpered, pinching her eyes close, setting her hand above mine. “You know there isn’t. Plus, I get to be the hero in this story.” She shook her head. An outcry followed, and she was snatched away from me. “No!” I pushed up from the bed, sweat rolling down my skin. Running my fingers through my drenched hair, I exhaled the emotions brought by that dream. This night was different. Usually, it would end with me telling Aurora I would come back. Now I am boasting about being a hero? What the hell does that even mean? A dream about Aurora was another sleepless night for me. The full moon made me restless. I shouldn’t have taken
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 100|Epilogue 2
~Elijah~Henry sighed. “Can you at least pretend that you’re listening to what I’m saying?”We are on our way back from inspecting the western border of Sapiro. The peace in the kingdom was monotonous, but boring is better than war. Last month, there was a conflict between the Lockwood pack of the west woodland and the Riverstone pack of the northern woodland. Alpha Lockwood believed that the members of the Riverstone packs were crossing the border to hunt for food. And Alpha Riverstone was throwing the same accusation towards the Lockwood pack. They could hunt in each other’s territory, but they had to ask for permission from the other pack.We did an investigation, and it turned out that Alpha Lockwood’s firstborn son had been sneaking out to meet Alpha Riverstone’s youngest daughter in secret. Both teenage wolves were afraid their parents would disagree with their blooming romance. They recently found out they were mates.Lockwood and Riverstone had a century-long rivalry. And it w
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 99|Epilogue 1
~Rory~For weeks, I’ve been dreaming of a boy with gray eyes, dark brown curls, and a snooty smirk. He was playing on the beach, sitting on the sand. His trousers were wet from the waves hitting his leg on the side, hands and toes were covered in sand... his cheeks too. He kept rubbing the back of his hands on his cheeks, leaving traces of wet sand there.He looked up and met my eyes, smiling brightly. Those gray eyes twinkled as his eyes narrowed to slits. He dropped the shells he was playing with and raised those tiny hands, opening and closing, asking to be picked up. When I didn’t, his lips quivered, eyes widened as a saucer, clouded with tears. His cry was so loud that I woke up from my sleep, discovering I was alone in our bed.Looking on Elijah’s side, a red rose lay on his pillow, weighing down a paper folded in half.The sun hasn’t risen yet, but he told me he’d be out the entire day to check the western border of Sapiro, accompanied by Henry.I reached for the rose, sniffing
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 98|Endgame
~Rory~ I refused to live in the castle. It was aesthetically beautiful but a constant reminder of what I lost when I stepped inside its vicinity. The council disagreed with my choice, but Elijah was adamant about giving me what I wanted. We compromised on building our home close to the castle. Surrounded by trees in the clearing ten minutes away from the citadel, they turned it into a keep, a fortress, yet I got to design how our house would look like. It was inspired by Elijah’s estate in Salvatore hills. The place where Elijah and I had been the happiest. I am happy to be with him, truly, and I could never ask for more. But life as royalty was not as glamorous as I thought it would be. As the crowned princess, responsibilities weighed upon my shoulder even in my sleep. It’s different from working a nine-to-five job where day-offs and holidays are offered. In fact, rest has become a foreign word in this household. Elijah was always out. He spends more time with his council, meeting
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 97|Rest In Peace
~Rory~The moment my eyes fluttered open and saw the familiar gray ceiling of Elijah’s room, tears brimmed in my eyes.I feel the same old me, but not. The fear in my chest deepened as the seconds ticked by. I’m alive. Jace’s plan worked.I pushed myself from the bed, hearing footsteps echoing through the hallway. Not a second later, Elijah barged into his room, hair disheveled and eyes wide with worry and relief in equal measure.“Rory…” he breathed out, eyes clouding as he ran to my side.“Elijah…” I buried my face in his chest as he cradled my body, murmuring how grateful he was that I was alive, worried, and much he loved me.Words are not enough to voice out my happiness. My throat was tight, with emotions storming inside me.We are alive, Elijah and I. We survived the ritual and that damn prophecy.“Cara mia,” Elijah cupped my face, leaning to press his lips against mine.His kiss did it if his touch wasn’t enough to convince me how alive we were. The familiar taste of him. The
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 96|Silver Eyes
~Elijah~“Do you want to have children?” Rory asked, glancing up at me with those big brown eyes. Her cheeks were flushed from our previous coupling, hair wild from my tugging and pulling. The warmth of her naked body entangled with mine was heaven under the silk sheets.“Children?” I repeated my thumb, drawing circles on the small of her back. “Plural?”She hummed a yes, circling the crown of my nipple. She knew it was my tickle spot, but she loved tickling me. I caught her fingers and playfully bit them.“Yeah.” She giggled, squirming. “Being an only child is sometimes lonely.”I honestly wouldn’t know. I didn’t actually have a normal childhood. King Emilian was kind and did everything to give me what a child my age must have. But circumstances didn’t allow him to be a father like he did with Greco and Orme. He was forced to take me out of Lira to protect me.I relished the way she talked about the future. A glow in her eyes only appears when she doesn’t worry about the prophecy or
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 95|A Backup Plan
~Rory~Tayen and Jace were just leaving with reinforcements when we arrived at Salvatore Hills. After bringing them up-to-date on what happened with Elijah, we had to devise a new plan in under ten minutes.They were keeping Elijah on the estate’s west side ruins. It was the highest part of the land and the best spot to see the eclipse at its peak.Even if Henry, Tayen, and Nolani knew this place like the back of their hands, planning this attack was difficult. We cannot be overconfident with the advantage we have.Jace and Henry did a quick sweep of the area, taking details on the number of the enemies waiting for us to come. Meca was with them. She was Agata’s witch friend and Greco’s mistress. Our best guess is that she’s the reason Greco was able to survive the Lycan venom he attained two thousand years ago. She has grown stronger, is what Henry told us. She also cast the warding in Greco’s room; hence, the witch we have to unbind Elijah from.About thirty vampires were guarding t
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 94|It’s Ironic
~Rory~“What do you mean he was taken?” I threw my hands in the air.After Elijah vanished from my grasp, I called Henry, Nolani, and Ali into Greco’s room.I told Ali what had happened after he left. There wasn’t so much to tell, anyway. He literally just disappeared, as if he suddenly harnessed Ali’s disappearing act and did the trick on me.We’ve turned the room inside out. Nolani and Henry went to the other quarters to see if there was a witch’s hex bag or any clue that might lead us to where Elijah went but came out bereft of answers.“It’s the only explanation I have right now,” Ali murmured dejectedly. The three of them looked tired and shaken. They have been in the heart of the war, and Elijah’s disappearance clearly imposes a toll on their morale.“But how can someone as powerful as Elijah be taken with no trace?” I asked, desperate to know where he was.We’ve completed the mate bond, but I can’t feel him or reach him. Our bond was supposed to be stronger than ever, which mea
Hellbound: The Last Tribute 93|The Only Way
~Rory~Something is happening to me. There was an unfamiliar, simmering energy inside me.Like a spring suddenly appeared somewhere in my core, an endless energy flow blossoming into a beautiful sensation that enticed my body to wake up from a deep sleep.It was exhilarating.“Open your eyes, cara mia,” Elijah’s melodic voice floated in my thoughts. “Please… come back to me... I love you.”I searched for the will to do as he asked. His pain was excruciating. He was in agony, and I wanted to ease his torment away.Forcing my body to move, I squeezed my eyelids and obliged them to part. The bright light blinded me. The war’s outcry brought me back to where, how, and why I felt so much pain in my body. Greco. Recollection of what happened before I lost consciousness flooded my brain.Like an image that suddenly made sense, my pupils adjusted to focus on the man holding me.Elijah smiled down at me. His eyes were wild with a mixture of emotions, cheeks drenched with tears and crimson liqu
