All Chapters of Bound by blood and the moonlight: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The air had changed. Even before the sound came, I felt it — that strange, cold pull at the back of my mind, the pressure that meant the dark was near. It crept through the trees like breath on the nape of my neck. Mateo stood in front of me, fire low at his palms, his shoulders tense. Jason had melted into the shadows again, his calm sharpened to focus. Dimitri waited to my left, still as stone, blade gleaming faintly in the half-light. They were ready. I wasn’t. The night split open. It came out of the dark like smoke given shape — a tangle of limbs and shadow, eyes like coals. The ground shuddered when it hit, the sound so deep I felt it in my bones. Mateo moved first, fire bursting from his hands and slamming into the creature’s chest. The beast roared, flames curling over its skin without catching. Jason was there an instant later, his blade flashing, a calm streak through chaos. Dimitri flanked, steel singi

The mansion was too quiet. Too still. Even the walls seemed to hold their breath. I’d walked these halls a thousand times before, every echo, every shadow familiar — but tonight, the silence was a punishment. It followed me with every step, wrapping tight around my throat until it felt like I was suffocating. From down the corridor came the faint crackle of a fire. Mateo hadn’t left her side since we brought her home. Jason slept in the chair by the window, one arm draped over his eyes, but Mateo… he hadn’t moved. He wouldn’t. I paused outside the door, hand against the cold wood. Her heartbeat pulsed faintly through the bond — fragile, distant, but there. That sound used to mean safety. Now it felt like a warning. She had done that. Amelia. She’d unleashed power strong enough to tear the forest apart — to destroy whatever threat had crawled out of the dark after us. And in doing so, she’d nearly d

The first light of dawn filtered through the tall windows, soft and golden, brushing across the room like a gentle promise. My eyelids felt heavy, weighted with a strange mix of exhaustion and lingering fear, but something warm tugged at the edges of my awareness.I stirred slowly, sensing it before I opened my eyes — a presence so constant it felt woven into my very skin. Jason.A faint ache traced through my body, every limb reminding me of the night before, of the uncontrolled power that had almost torn me apart. My chest tightened, heart still hammering as the memory of light exploding from me flashed across my mind.And yet… there was safety here.I blinked, slowly forcing my eyes open, and the first thing I saw was him. Jason’s dark hair fell across his forehead, tousled from hours of restless watching. His golden-brown eyes were half-lidded, but the concern in them never faded. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t left my side all night.I swallowed, a lump f

The mansion felt alive in a way it hadn’t the night before. Morning sunlight spilled across the marble floors, warm and soft, carrying a sense of fragile calm. Amelia stirred lightly in the bed, the bond thrumming faintly through the air — gentle, insistent, alive.I paused outside the doorway, hand on the frame. She was awake. I could feel it before I even saw her, every pulse of her heartbeat reaching me, each one carrying fragments of relief, fear, and something more — something fierce and tender.Inside the room, Jason’s hand still rested lightly over hers, his head tilted as if he were memorizing every detail of her face. Mateo was beside her, holding her shoulder with a careful strength that was equal parts protective and loving. The sight made my chest tighten, and yet, I couldn’t step away.She looked so small in the bed, fragile and exhausted. But the bond told me otherwise. It spoke of her resilience, her courage, the way she’d risked everything for u

The scent of something warm and sweet drifted through the halls, waking me before sunlight could. My stomach growled before my eyes even opened, and for the first time in days, I felt something close to normal — hungry, rested, and safe. I slid out of bed slowly, wincing at the faint ache in my limbs. My body still remembered the chaos, the pain, the fear — but my heart felt lighter. Through the bond, I sensed them — Jason’s steady pulse, Mateo’s relaxed warmth, and Dimitri’s quiet concentration, sharp and focused. I followed the smell to the kitchen. When I stepped into the doorway, I stopped, blinking in surprise. Dimitri stood at the stove, sleeves rolled up, a pan in one hand, and an expression of intense focus on his face. Mateo lounged against the counter, grinning, while Jason sat at the table, looking half amused and half impressed. “I didn’t know you could cook,” I said softly. Dimitri turned, his dark eyes s