Chapter 2

They kept me in the dungeon for a full day and night with hawthorn nails driven through my wrists.

Fire seared through my blood, and my veins spasmed and throbbed.

Hawthorn was sacred wood used to ward off evil, and it also slowed my healing.

By the time the guards took me down, my body had gone completely limp.

They dragged me to Bertha's chambers.

She was bent over the side of the bed, vomiting up the medicine Rosien had fed her.

"Where is the physician? She's already taken medicine made from Katherine's blood. Why is she still getting worse!"

The physician was so frightened that he dropped to his knees.

"Your Highness, Miss Bertha is still human. Blood from a high-ranking pureblood like Lady Katherine can ease her symptoms, but only for a short time. Her human body can no longer handle blood this pure."

Rosien swept everything off the tables in the bridal chamber. The maids and guards dropped to their knees around him.

The physician fell silent for a long moment.

"Your Highness, there is one option left.

"If you form a blood bond with Miss Bertha and turn her into a vampire, she will become immortal."

Rosien seemed to feel my gaze and looked sharply at me.

A blood bond can only be formed once in a lifetime.

Once formed, the two can feel each other's pain and their lives are bound together forever.

Hundreds of years ago, I had asked Rosien to form a blood bond with me.

But he always gave me the same answer.

"Katherine, my feelings for you will never change. I don't want to bind you to me through a blood bond. I want you to be free."

Rosien looked away and turned to Bertha, his eyes full of worry.

"Prepare everything for the rite. I'm going to turn Bertha."

Right in front of me, Rosien sank his fangs into Bertha's neck.

When she opened her eyes again, her pupils had turned red.

The blood bond was complete.

When the rite ended, Rosien's power was unstable. The physician quickly led him away.

Only Bertha and I were left in the chamber.

She sat up, touched her throat, and smirked at me.

"Katherine, it took me three years to get what you could never have. I ruined your wedding and now I'm going to take Rosien from you too. Stop making a fool of yourself. Rosien never loved you."

Bertha gave me a vicious smile. Then she raked her fingers through her hair, messing it up, before throwing herself against the wall.

Blood streamed down her forehead. She crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Moments later, I heard Rosien rushing toward us. He burst into the room, clutching his chest, and roared at me.

"I just formed a blood bond with Bertha. How dare you hurt her?"

Rosien was Bertha's sire, and their blood bond carried a terrible consequence.

Whenever one of them was hurt, the other felt the pain.

Their pain was now bound together.

"Kneel. Apologize to Bertha! If she suffers so much as a scratch, I'll make you pay for it tenfold."

I looked straight at him.

"Rosien, do you really not trust me at all? You've already decided that I did this to her?"

Rosien gave a cold snort.

"Who else would do something so vicious!"

I could not help laughing. Then I grabbed Bertha by the hair.

Ignoring her screams, I slammed her head into the stone pillar.

Blood streamed down her forehead, and I wiped her filthy blood off my hand with satisfaction.

"There! That was me!"

Rosien slapped me hard across the face.