Chapter 3: The Blood Contract

Pain flared through my chest like hot glass. The Thrall Bond was tearing at my organs, punishing my body for the distance between Julian and me. Every breath felt like inhaling sharp razor blades. I clutched my ribs, trembling on the cold marble floor as the massive vampire intruder stepped through the shattered wooden door.

He was huge, covered in thick iron armor splashed with crimson blood. His yellow eyes burned with wild greed as his gaze locked onto me.

“So this is the girl,” he growled, his voice sounding like grinding stones. He wiped his bloody blade on his leather pants, taking heavy steps toward me. “Lord Victor will pay fifty million for your head, human. Or perhaps I’ll take a taste of your sweet blood first.”

My heart slammed against my ribs. The physical agony in my chest almost made me black out, but the terror running through my veins forced my muscles to move. I couldn't die here. Lily was still trapped in that cage, relying on me to save her.

“Stay back,” I rasped, my throat raw.

The intruder laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. He lunged forward, reaching out a massive, clawed hand to grab my hair.

I didn't try to run. I dragged myself backward on my elbows, my hand frantically searching the floor until my fingers wrapped around a sharp, heavy piece of shattered door wood. As he reached down to seize me, I screamed and slammed the jagged wood straight into his right eye.

The vampire let out a deafening roar of pain, staggering backward as black blood spurted from his socket.

Before he could pull the wood out to gut me, a dark shadow materialized behind him.

A cold, lethal presence filled the room, instantly crushing the heavy air. Julian appeared out of nowhere like a phantom. His chest was bare, his skin covered in glowing dark warrior runes that pulsed with furious light.

With one swift motion, Julian grabbed the massive vampire by the back of his neck and shoved his other hand straight through the intruder’s iron armor into his chest. A sickening crunch echoed through the room. Julian ripped out the vampire’s heart, dropping the massive body to the floor like a sack of stones.

Silence slammed into the room, broken only by my ragged breathing.

Julian threw the dark heart onto the floor, stepping over the dead guard. His glowing red eyes locked on mine. The moment he closed the physical distance between us, the agonizing pain tearing my chest apart vanished instantly. My lungs expanded, taking in a huge breath of cold air.

He dropped to his knees in front of me. His large hands cupped my face, his cold fingers brushing away the damp hair sticking to my forehead.

“Did he touch you?” Julian growled, his voice deep, rough, and vibrating with pure rage. “Tell me, Elena.”

“No,” I breathed, shivering as his touch sent a wave of forbidden heat straight down my spine. “I... I hit him.”

Julian’s thumb caressed my jawline, wiping a drop of sweat from my chin. A dark, possessive look filled his red eyes as he stared down at my trembling mouth.

“Fierce little creature,” he whispered, his voice dropping into a low, hypnotic purr. “You survived.”

Without warning, he scooped his arms beneath my thighs and back, lifting me off the bloody floor. He carried me back to the huge bed, setting me down on the soft black silk. But he didn't step away. He leaned over me, trapping my thighs between his knees, his massive chest blocking out all light.

My pulse spiked wildly. The fear of the fight was replaced instantly by a thick, heavy heat settling low in my stomach. His skin was smeared with blood, his muscles taut and hard as granite.

“Why did my chest hurt when you left?” I demanded, pressing my hands against his chest to keep him from lowering his body onto mine. Touching his bare skin sent electric sparks shooting through my palms.

“The Thrall Bond,” Julian murmured, leaning down until his lips brushed the sensitive skin behind my ear. “Your body is connected to mine now, Elena. If you stay too far away from me, your heart will feel like it is breaking. But when you are close...”

He shifted his weight, pressing his heavy hips firmly against mine. A sharp gasp escaped my lips as the solid heat of his body pressed flush into my soft core.

“When you are close, your body burns for me,” he whispered against my throat. His hand slid down my neck, his long fingers trailing down the front of my torn dress, exposing the pale skin of my chest. “You can feel it, can't you?”

“I hate you,” I whispered, even as my lower body lifted toward his touch on traitorous instinct.

“Hate me all you want,” Julian growled, his mouth trailing down to my collarbone, biting the soft skin until I let out a low, breathless moan. “As long as your body obeys me.”

His fingers slid beneath the hem of my dress, tracing a line of fire up my bare inner thigh. His touch was cool against my hot skin, making my muscles quiver. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the intense wave of pleasure washing over my mind. It was terrifying how easily his touch could turn my fear into pure, helpless desire.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the shattered door.

A tall woman with pale skin and dark red hair stepped into the room. She wore a sharp black gown, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at us with deep disgust.

“Julian,” she said, her voice sharp as an ice blade. “Victor’s men are retreating, but the High Council has arrived at the gates. They know about the girl.”

Julian didn't move. He kept his hand firmly on my bare thigh, his red eyes sliding toward the door with dangerous slowness. “Let them stand at the gates.”

“They aren't just standing there!” the woman snapped, her voice rising in tension. “Grand Master Alistair is with them. He says a human carrying Sanguis Purus is an illegal weapon under Court Law. He demands you hand her over for immediate execution, or the entire High Council will declare war on you!”

My blood turned to ice. Execution. If they took me, I would die before I could ever reach Lily.

I looked up at Julian. His razor-sharp jawline was tight, his silver-red eyes fixed on the woman in the doorway.

“Alistair thinks he can demand what is mine?” Julian whispered, a lethal smile spreading across his lips.

“Julian, listen to reason!” the woman urged, taking a step closer. “You cannot fight the entire High Council for a human pet! Sign her transfer papers over to Alistair, or they will burn this castle to the ground before sunrise!”

Julian slowly looked back down at me. His gaze traced my messy hair, my flushed cheeks, and the fast, heavy rise and fall of my chest beneath his hands.

“She is not a pet,” Julian said softly.

He grabbed my hand, bringing my palm up to his mouth. Before I could pull away, he opened his mouth and sank his sharp fangs deep into the soft skin below my thumb.

A sharp sting tore through my hand, followed instantly by an explosive, intoxicating surge of heat that made my back arch off the bed. I gasped, my fingers tightening in his thick dark hair as he drank a small mouthful of my blood.

Julian pulled his mouth away, his lips stained crimson. His dark warrior runes flared with a blinding, golden light as my pure blood hit his system. The dark energy radiating off his body doubled, shaking the stone floor beneath the bed.

He squeezed my hand tight, leaning down until his bloody lips were pressing into mine.

“Go down to the gates,” Julian commanded the woman, his voice booming with absolute authority that echoed through the castle. “Tell Alistair that Elena Vance is no longer a captive.”

He pulled back slightly, staring straight into my wide, terrified eyes.

“Tell him she is my Eternal Sovereign Queen. And if he wants her... he will have to bleed through my entire army to get her.”

Before the woman could even speak, the ground beneath us shuddered violently as a massive horn sounded from the front gates, signaling the start of the High Council’s invasion.