All Chapters of Bloodbound: A Consort For The Vampire: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

Kieran’s POV The human woman bustles about her home and gently urges us to sit. She attempts to straighten the lace table runner laying in disarray atop the oak dinette. When she spots the collection of debris and mud smeared into its surface, a sigh of frustration escapes her lips. “I’m Bella,” she says in an attempt of introduction, and her eyes land on the soiled lace. Embarrassment stains her cheeks. “Please excuse the mess. I was hoping to have things looking a bit nicer for your arrival.” She collects the dirtied cloth and glances down the deserted hallway, no doubt searching for the two men who hastily disappeared the moment we entered the cottage, one of them being the cloaked man. I can hear the timbre of their voices from rooms away, but the words are muffled, as if they’re both speaking behind a wall of glass. “C-can I offer either of you anything to eat or drink?” she tries again, gesturing to the well-worn couches. Neither of us responds. The silence unnerves her,

Caius’ POVThe stench of vampires lingers across the grass surrounding the cottage.Its cloying, heavy sweetness is enough to make any Secondary stop in their tracks. It curls through the night air like smoke from a dying fire, thick and unavoidable, settling in the back of the throat with an almost sickening persistence. Most would turn away from it, would find a long way around the cottage and its occupants. I have never been most people. I have walked through worse stenches, through blood-soaked fields and burning homes, through the metallic tang of death that clings to a battlefield long after the fighting has stopped. This is nothing by comparison. This is almost pleasant.The lights within the cottage have since been extinguished, though it will not make much difference. I can feel the warmth of bodies within, hear the whisper of breath, the shift of weight from one foot to another, the low murmur of voices that think themselves unheard.I approach the house with measured step

The deep rumble of Caius’ voice steals my focus.“Hunt?” I repeat, bemused.There’s a glint of amusement in his expression. His gaze sweeps down my torso before leisurely making its way back up again and settling on my lips. Despite my lack of heartbeat, warmth sings the tips of my cheeks.“You have hunted before,” he presses, the amusement now mirroring his tone as well. “Have you not?”“I’ve never needed to,” I sputter defensively. “I’ve had all my meals provided to me.”Caius arches a brow. “I see.”His tone drips with a cold sarcasm. He holds his arms up, gesturing to the forest around us. Then he drops his head and gracefully sweeps into a bow.“Well, outside the palace walls, you will need to learn how to procure a meal for yourself. I shall happily allow you first choice at the game.”Is he taunting me? I flounder for a response. Only mere hours ago I was being kidnapped by a band of vampires, only to learn they were saving me from being held captive without my knowledge. Man

Caius’ POV Beau tunes the dusty flute and strums it once, then twice. Klaus warns him to keep quiet, just as he has for the past three nights. The fire in the hearth crackles in agreement. In response, Beau rolls his eyes and strums louder...just as he has for the past three nights. A small suspicion tugs at the back of my mind, wondering if Bonnie planted the barely usable flute in this deserted hovel for Beau to find. Before the war, Beau’s love for music was rivaled only by his love for Rebecca. While I cannot say I am particularly fond of the constant strumming and humming, he now has one of his loves back in his life. The result has sparked life back into his troubled eyes. Beau finishes another song, holding out the final note as an easy smile slips into place. He glances across the room to where Kieran is sitting, clearly enraptured with the performance. “You like that one, Kieran?” Beau asks, his tone soft and full of brotherly affection. Kieran nods a single time.

Caius’ POVThe residue of blood hangs in the air. It is a mist of war, and it clings to my frozen skin as I deftly move into the forest, capturing me as a participant in its deadly game. It is a game in which mankind foolishly places their bets time and time again. History holds the deck of destiny where the outcome is concerned, however, and humans need only to peer into their past to see what awaits their future.Loss.Memories from centuries ago paint a mirage across my mind, one full of blood and violence. I was created as a weapon, a tool to gain the upper hand in war. My prior life, my Secondary life, was torn from me. In his place, a monster was born.I follow the same path Kieran and I traveled mere hours ago when we searched the perimeter. His scent, although faint, stands out from the rest. It may no longer be the human blood I crave, but his sweet vampiric scent is not like the others. It is neither cloying nor overpowering. It is merely a gentle sweetness that passes