Bloodbound

CHAPTER ONE

Roman's POV

Trouble.

A Margery smelled like trouble.

The kind of trouble that hunts you down and sinks its claws into

your soul then refuses to let go.

The kind you know will ruin you, and yet you find yourself leaning

into it and utterly craving the chaos.

I clenched my fists as I made my way down the winding staircase

leading to the lower halls, her scent still lingered on my skin, it

etched into my senses like a curse— Citrus, sweet and sharp,

intertwined with something darker, something forbidden. Trouble

indeed.

The way she stood in my chambers, her golden hair catching what

little light filtered through the room, her heartbeat steady yet

unnervingly alive beneath my touch

Her body had curved so perfectly into mine like it was crafted to fit,

I could still feel the soft slide of her hair through my fingers, the

pulse of her need in the air between us

She was dangerous

I found Katarina exactly where I expected her—hovering over the

marble blood bowl in the Crimson Hall, the liquid swirling lazily

under her precise movements

My sister was a perfectionist to a fault, it was why our people

respected her, but it was also why she could be insufferably

stubborn

She straightened at the sound of my approach, her dark eyes

flicking up briefly before returning to her work, the cluster of young attendants who had been watching her skittered away like startled

deer, leaving us alone, I leaned against the stone wall, crossing my

arms as I studied her

"You are late for the masquerade, Roman" Katarina said without

looking at me, her tone deceptively light, she dipped the ladle into

the bowl, stirring the viscous blood with practiced ease

"The ball will proceed whether or not I am there" I replied flatly,

pushing off the wall and stepping closer

Her lips curved into a faint smile, but she shook her head "Your

presence is more than ceremonial, as leader of Kelna, you are

expected to present yourself Roman, Tradition demands it"

I ignore her reprimand "Who is she?" I asked, voice low and clipped

"The witch you brought into my chambers without my knowledge"

Her hands paused mid-motion, and for a brief moment, the silence

stretched between us, then she resumed stirring, her movements

calm but deliberate "I didn't bring her here" she said simply

"Katarina" I growled, the weight of my authority lacing my voice

"Explain”

She sighed and set the ladle down with care before turning to face

me "Laurie" she said, and the single word hit like a thunderclap

Laurie.

The elder witch who had vanished two decades ago, the one cloaked

and bound by her sister's magic, the one whose disappearance had

been whispered about in every corner of Aldaham, the one tied to

the forbidden—an interspecies child born of a witch and a werewolf,

and lastly my sister’s dearest friend

The rumors had been little more than speculation, but they were

enough to send cracks through the delicate balance of our world, a

hybrid would be a spark in a room soaked in kerosene—typically

chaos waiting to ignite

"Laurie brought her here?" I demanded, stepping closer, my tone

sharper now

Katarina shrugged, her expression neutral "She used Laurie's

transport pearl, naturally, I assumed it was Laurie herself, imagine

my surprise when I found her instead"

"And you thought it prudent to place her in my chambers?" My

voice edged into annoyance, though deep down, I couldn't bring

myself to regret the decision

"Where else would she be safest?" Katarina countered, tilting her

head as if the answer was obvious "Your chambers are the most

secure place in Kelna. Surely, even you can see that"

I narrowed my eyes "Her scent alone is enough to attract attention,

anyone near the chambers will know she doesn't belong"

"Not if you mask her scent" she said lightly, brushing past me to

cover the marble bowl "I've already done so in every part of the castle she's been in, except for your chambers. Do the same, and no

one will know she's there"

Mask her scent? The very thought stirred an unwelcome frustration

within me, masking her scent meant I wouldn't be able to sense her

presence, wouldn't be able to feel the way her very existence pulled

at me like gravity

"I'll consider it" I muttered, unwilling to admit just how much the

idea unsettled me

Katarina smirked, clearly seeing through my facade "Roman" she

said softly, her voice dipping cautiously "You know what this means,

don't you?"

"Of course I do" I replied, my voice cold, distant "But I'll handle it"

She studied me for a long moment, her dark eyes piercing, before

nodding "See that you do. For all our sakes"

I didn't respond, instead, I turned on my heel and strode toward the

exit, my mind drifting back to trouble

Margery

A scent like sin, a presence like fire

She would undo me, of that I was certain, and yet, as I made my way

down the dimly lit corridors of Kelna, I found myself craving the

destruction her presence has promised

If I were to fall, let it be by her hands