Pact of Blood
He was the one gasping for air, the one shackled by biological necessity, while she was the one harboring the ancient energy that everyone in the Five Houses craved.
He wouldn't go to her—not yet.
He needed to ensure his own composure.
If he approached her while he was this vulnerable, the power dynamic would tip entirely in her favor, and he wasn't sure if his pride could withstand that shift.
He stood up, his legs trembling, and walked to the wall.
He placed a hand against the cold stone, listening to the muffled sounds of the manor.
He was the Lord of the Blood Pact, the master of the shadows, yet for the first time, he realized that he was playing a game of chess where he had alre