Chapter 1

My mate, the vampire lord Evander, murdered me. He ripped our blood bond from my soul, and I could only scream as my human body tore itself apart from the inside. I died in pure agony.

Then, I shot awake, a gasp tearing from my lungs.

The vial of synthetic blood slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor.

I looked around. The familiar castle hallway. The gothic carvings. And the door. That damned door.

I was back. It was the night of the Blood Moon Feast. The night Evander’s century-old bloodlust curse erupted.

"Linnea?"

His deep voice radiated from the other side of the door—strained, tight, and laced with the raw madness of the curse I knew all too well. It was beginning. He was losing control.

"What are you waiting for?"

Last time, I opened that door.

He threw me down, bit me, and sealed our fates with a blood bond.

I thought it was the beginning of our love story. It was the beginning of my nightmare.

"Coming, my Lord," I said. My voice was calm, but my hand trembled as it found the lock.

Click.

I locked it. Dead.

"Linnea? What are you doing?" His voice was getting ragged, dangerous.

I ignored him. Instead, I pulled out my communication crystal and called Odette.

"Odette. The Lord needs you. Now."

"What do you mean?"

"The curse. It's happening."

The other end went silent.

Not even a minute later, she materialized in front of me.

She was faster than I expected, her face a mask of nervous excitement.

"Is it really the curse?" Her eyes were shining.

Of course. She knew a cursed Evander would bond with the first woman to walk through that door.

A smug smirk twisted her lips. She glided past me, her movements impossibly graceful, and plucked the shattered vial from the floor. "I believe I'll be needing this."

Her eyes swept over me, a look of pure disgust, as if I were vermin that had crawled out from under a rock.

"There's nothing for you here, little human. Run along."

I didn't answer.

I turned and walked toward my lab.

Behind me, I heard the click of the lock being undone. Her sharp, excited breath as she pushed the door open. Evander’s low growl as he lunged.

I walked faster, but I couldn't escape the memories. They flooded me like a tidal wave.

His cold fingers on my collarbone.

His burning body pressed against mine.

His fangs in my neck.

His blood in my veins. Our souls tearing, merging. A deep, agonizing bond.

I leaned against the wall, dry heaving.

Enough.

I was human. I never should have gotten mixed up in this.

Three years ago, he was dying in the human world. I found him, and I saved him. He brought me back to his castle, a high-paying job to develop a new generation of synthetic blood for his family.

The formula was delivered. I should have left a long time ago.

The next afternoon, the steward came for me.

"Miss Linnea. The Lord and his Lady wish to see you."

His Lady.

The word was a knife in my heart.

But I kept my face blank as I followed him to the master bedroom.

The doors opened to a thick wave of blood and sex. Odette was lounging in Evander’s arms, her silk robe hanging open, revealing pale skin.

She deliberately brushed her hair aside, showing off the deep purple fang marks on her neck and the fresh, intricate red lines of the bond mark.

The sacred brand stood out starkly against her white skin.

"Linnea," she purred, looking me over. "Does the little alchemist have anything for me?"

She stretched theatrically, making the bond mark even more visible. "I'm so sore after last night. Evander's power… it's overwhelming."

Last time, jealousy would have eaten me alive.

This time, I just calmly pulled on my gloves and took out my notepad.

"The backlash from an Ancient's blood is intense." I jotted down notes. "I recommend a strong sedative three times a day for the next three days, paired with a diluted type-B synthetic."

Odette stared, stunned.

Evander's fingers tightened on her waist.

I met his gaze. Those familiar crimson eyes were a swirling storm of confusion and annoyance. But beneath it all, I saw a flicker of something else. Something possessive.

"Linnea—" he began.

I cut him off. "My apologies, my Lord. There's an issue with the third trial of the sun-immunity serum. I must return to the lab immediately."

I turned and walked away. I didn't wait for his answer. I didn't look back.

But it wasn't long before the temperature in my lab plummeted.

A chill crept up my spine like a hand of ice. Black mist seeped under the door, coalescing into a familiar shape behind me.

I turned slowly.

Evander.

Those crimson eyes I once adored were fixed on me, a dangerous glint hiding in their depths.