All Chapters of Bound to the First Blood: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The silence stretched between them.Golden eyes met crimson ones.Neither Elara nor Lucien looked away.For several moments, the room remained completely still.Only the crackling fireplace disturbed the quiet.Finally, Elara spoke."You had me brought here just to tell me I've grown?"A faint amusement flickered across Lucien's face."You were not this bold in the reports."Elara frowned."The reports?""I have received updates regarding your progress for years."That explained a lot.And irritated her."You had people spying on me.""I had people ensuring my future wife remained alive."The casual way he said it made her want to throw something at him.Future wife.As though she were merely another item he had purchased.Lucien seemed completely unaware of her growing annoyance.Or perhaps he simply didn't care."I assume the journey was comfortable."Elara stared.Was he serious?"I left my family."The king remained silent."I left everything I've ever known."Still silence."And

The days following the incident at the training grounds were far from peaceful.Rumors spread through Castle Nocturne like wildfire.Servants whispered about the hybrid bride.Nobles spoke of the mysterious title.Guards exchanged stories in hushed voices.Everywhere Elara went, she felt eyes following her.Watching.Judging.Speculating.The title the rogue werewolf had spoken continued to haunt her.Moonborn.She had searched through books in the castle library.Ancient records.Forgotten legends.Dust-covered manuscripts.Yet she found nothing.Not a single explanation.It was as though the title had been erased from history itself.And somehow, that frightened her more.Because forgotten things were often forgotten for a reason.---Three days later, an announcement shook the castle.The king would host a Blood Moon Banquet.One of the largest gatherings in the kingdom.Powerful vampire nobles from every territory would attend.Foreign dignitaries would arrive.Influential merchan

Only one day remained before the wedding.One day.Twenty-four hours.A single sunrise separated Elara Ashbourne from becoming the Fifth Queen of Noctis.The realization followed her everywhere.Through the hallways.Through the gardens.Even through her dreams.No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape it.Tomorrow she would marry Lucien Draven.The First Blood Vampire.The most feared ruler in the supernatural world.The thought should have terrified her.Instead, she mostly felt exhausted.After weeks of preparation, anxiety had become a constant companion.At some point, her fear had simply grown tired.---The castle was busier than ever.Guests continued arriving from across the continent.Vampire nobles filled the guest wings.Representatives from powerful witch covens occupied entire sections of the castle.Even several werewolf delegations had arrived under royal protection.The atmosphere felt strange.Fragile.Like a glass balancing on the edge of a table.One wrong

Silence.Absolute silence.The battlefield froze.The screams had stopped.The clash of weapons had vanished.Even the wind itself seemed to hold its breath.Everyone stared at Elara.No one moved.No one dared.Silver light surrounded her body like living moonlight.Ancient runes glowed across her skin.Her golden eyes had transformed into brilliant silver.The power radiating from her felt endless.Ancient.Primal.Terrifying.Even the strongest vampires present took involuntary steps backward.Even the queens looked stunned.And Lucien,For the first time since anyone could remember,Looked genuinely shocked.---The elderly witch who had launched the attack stumbled backward.Fear filled her silver eyes."No..."Her voice trembled."Impossible."Elara slowly raised her head.Everything felt different.The world felt different.She could hear thousands of heartbeats.Thousands.Every guest.Every guard.Every assassin.Every living thing within the castle.She could feel the moon a

The silence atop Castle Nocturne's western wall felt endless.No one spoke.No one moved.The words of the Alpha continued to echo through everyone's mind.The Moonborn was created to destroy the Devourer.Elara stared at the massive werewolf army below.Her heart pounded violently.Nothing made sense anymore.For years she had believed she was merely a powerful hybrid.Then she became the Moonborn.Now she was apparently some ancient weapon created for a purpose she didn't even understand.The revelation left her feeling strangely hollow.Like pieces of her life were being stolen one by one.Lucien's voice finally broke the silence."What proof do you have?"The king's crimson eyes remained fixed on the Alphas.His expression revealed nothing.The silver-haired Alpha stepped forward."We expected that question."With a motion of his hand, another werewolf approached.The newcomer carried an ancient wooden chest.Its surface was covered with silver runes.Even from atop the wall, Elar