Chapter 5 — The Blood Pact
1940 Words
The words remained on the page long after Serena stopped reading.
“If Serena's blood awakens, do not let the Moretti heir bind himself to her.”
She read the sentence again.
Then again.
Her father's handwriting had never frightened her before.
Tonight, it did.
Serena slowly lowered the paper and looked across the room.
Dante was still standing near the doorway.
His expression was unreadable, but his silence told her enough.
“You knew about this.”
It wasn't a question.
Dante didn't deny it.
“I knew your father was afraid of the bond.”
“What bond?”
“The blood pact.”
Serena's frustration returned.
“You keep saying those words as if I'm supposed to understand them.”
Dante walked farther into the room.
“The pact wasn't simply an agreement between two families. It was created around a supernatural connection between the Vale and Moretti bloodlines.”
Serena frowned.
“Explain.”
“Generations ago, the first Vale and Moretti leaders discovered something neither family could control. A supernatural force connected to a relic called the Bloodstone.”
Serena glanced at the file.
“And my family protected it?”
“Yes.”
“And your family?”
“Protected the people who carried it.”
“Why?”
“Because the Bloodstone could not be controlled by one family alone.”
Serena's fingers tightened around the paper.
“So what happens now?”
Dante's eyes moved toward her palm.
“Your blood has awakened.”
“Because of the attack?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“That is what we're trying to understand.”
Serena stared at him.
“You always have an answer.”
“Not this time.”
That frightened her.
Dante Moretti seemed like the kind of man who always knew what was happening.
Seeing uncertainty in him made everything feel more dangerous.
Serena looked down at the file again.
“Why did my father warn me not to let you bind yourself to me?”
Dante's expression hardened.
“Because he knew what the bond could do.”
“What?”
“If it forms completely, we won't simply be connected by the pact.”
Serena waited.
“Our powers could become connected too.”
She stared at him.
“You're saying I could somehow affect you?”
“Yes.”
“And you could affect me?”
“Yes.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It is.”
She closed the file.
“Then stay away from me.”
Dante's eyes met hers.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“The moment your blood awakened, the pact recognized you.”
Serena's stomach tightened.
“And now?”
“Now I'm bound to protect you.”
She laughed without humor.
“That sounds convenient.”
“It isn't.”
“Why?”
Dante's expression became darker.
“Because the more time I spend around you, the stronger the bond becomes.”
Silence settled between them.
Serena didn't know what to say.
Dante turned toward the door.
“I'll leave you alone.”
“Dante.”
He stopped.
“Thank you.”
He glanced back.
“For what?”
“For telling me.”
He nodded once and left.
Serena remained alone.
She looked at the silver symbol on her palm.
For the first time, she wondered whether her father had known this day would come.
Maybe he'd known she would meet Dante.
Maybe he'd known she would awaken.
Maybe his entire life had been spent preparing for something she hadn't even known existed.
Her eyes moved back to the file.
She opened another page.
A photograph slipped out.
Serena picked it up.
It showed her grandmother standing beside an unfamiliar woman.
On the back was a date.
Twenty-seven years ago.
And underneath it were four words.
THE FIRST AWAKENING FAILED.
Serena's heart skipped.
“The first?”
She turned the photograph over again.
There was another sentence beneath the date.
NEVER LET THE SECOND ONE HAPPEN.
A cold feeling moved through her.
Someone knocked.
This time, it was her mother.
“Serena?”
She quickly hid the photograph.
“Come in.”
Her mother entered slowly.
She looked exhausted.
“How are you feeling?”
Serena almost laughed.
“That's a difficult question.”
Her mother sat beside her.
“I know.”
“You knew about the blood pact.”
Her mother didn't answer.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since you were born.”
Serena stared at her.
“So everyone knew except me?”
“Not everyone.”
“Dante knew.”
“Yes.”
“My father knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew.”
Her mother nodded.
Serena looked away.
“Why did nobody trust me enough to tell me?”
“Because knowing about the bloodline would have made you a target.”
“I became a target anyway.”
Her mother closed her eyes.
“I know.”
Serena's voice softened.
“Did Dad know he was going to die?”
Her mother looked at her.
“No.”
“Then why did he leave all these warnings?”
“Because he knew someone was looking for you.”
Serena's heart tightened.
“Who?”
Her mother hesitated.
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
“I don't.”
“Mom.”
Her mother finally looked at her.
“There were people your father feared.”
“Who?”
“The Blackthorn Circle.”
Serena frowned.
“What is that?”
Her mother's expression changed.
“They aren't a family.”
“What are they?”
“A group.”
“What do they want?”
“Power.”
Her mother lowered her voice.
“And they believe your blood can give it to them.”
Serena felt a chill.
“So they're the ones attacking us?”
“We don't know.”
“But you think they are.”
“I think they're capable of it.”
Serena looked toward the window.
“What happens if they get me?”
Her mother didn't answer.
Serena understood.
She wouldn't like the answer.
The next morning, Serena woke before sunrise.
For a few seconds, she forgot where she was.
Then everything returned.
Her father.
The attack.
The Morettis.
The bloodline.
Dante.
She sat up.
A knock sounded at the door.
A young woman entered carrying breakfast.
“Good morning.”
Serena stared at the tray.
“What's that?”
“Breakfast.”
“I can see that.”
The woman smiled.
“Mr. Moretti said you needed to eat.”
Serena sighed.
“Of course he did.”
She sat at the table.
Her appetite wasn't completely back, but she forced herself to eat.
After a few minutes, she noticed something unusual.
The woman was watching her.
“What?”
“I'm sorry?”
“You're staring.”
The woman immediately looked away.
“I'm sorry.”
Serena softened.
“It's fine.”
“I'm Elena.”
“Serena.”
“I know.”
Serena raised an eyebrow.
“Right.”
Elena smiled.
“Everyone here knows who you are.”
That wasn't exactly comforting.
“How long have you worked here?”
“Three years.”
“And Dante?”
Elena paused.
“Mr. Moretti?”
“Yes.”
“He has been here his whole life.”
Serena thought about that.
“What is he like?”
Elena looked surprised.
“You want to know?”
“I'm curious.”
Elena smiled slightly.
“He's difficult.”
Serena almost laughed.
“That I already know.”
“But he's loyal.”
“To his family?”
“To the people he considers his.”
Serena looked down.
“And who does he consider his?”
Elena didn't answer.
Before Serena could ask again, a voice came from the doorway.
“Elena.”
Both women turned.
Dante stood there.
Elena immediately straightened.
“Sir.”
“Leave us.”
She nodded and left.
Serena looked at him.
“You're very dramatic.”
Dante ignored the comment.
“How did you sleep?”
“Badly.”
“I expected that.”
“Why are you here?”
“Training.”
Serena frowned.
“Training?”
“You need to learn how to control what happened last night.”
She looked at her palm.
“I don't even know what I did.”
“Exactly.”
He held out his hand.
“Come.”
Serena stared at it.
“Where?”
“Somewhere private.”
She didn't take his hand.
“I can walk.”
“I know.”
He lowered his hand.
She followed him anyway.
They walked through the estate and eventually reached a large training room.
The walls were reinforced.
There were weapons displayed behind glass.
Serena stopped.
“Do you actually use all of this?”
“Some of it.”
She looked at him.
“You're terrifying.”
“So I've been told.”
He moved to the center of the room.
“Stand there.”
She did.
“What now?”
“Close your eyes.”
Serena hesitated.
“Why?”
“Because your power reacts to emotion.”
She closed her eyes.
“Think about something that makes you angry.”
She immediately thought about her father.
Her breathing changed.
The symbol on her palm began glowing.
Dante noticed.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“The energy is responding.”
Serena opened her eyes.
“What do I do with it?”
“Control it.”
“How?”
“Don't fight it.”
She closed her eyes again.
The heat grew stronger.
She felt something move beneath her skin.
A pulse.
Then another.
Suddenly, a glass target across the room shattered.
Serena opened her eyes.
She stared.
Dante remained calm.
“Again.”
“What?”
“Again.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
She tried.
This time, the target cracked.
Serena stared at it.
“I did that.”
“Yes.”
She looked at Dante.
“What exactly am I?”
He held her gaze.
“That is what we're going to find out.”
For the first time since her father's death, something unfamiliar stirred inside Serena.
Not fear.
Not grief.
Determination.
She looked at the shattered target.
If her blood had awakened, then she was going to learn how to control it.
No matter what it took.
Dante watched her carefully.
He seemed to realize something too.
Serena Vale wasn't going to remain the frightened girl who had arrived at his estate.
She was changing.
And neither of them knew yet whether that change would save them or destroy them.
That evening, Serena returned to her room and opened her father's file again.
She turned through the pages until she reached the final one.
There was no photograph.
No explanation.
Only a sentence.
“When the second awakening begins, the bride will choose the king.”
Serena stared at the words.
Her blood ran cold.
“Bride?”
She read the sentence again.
Then she noticed something written underneath in smaller handwriting.
“And the king will have to choose whether to save her... or kill her.”
Serena slowly closed the file.
For the first time, she understood why her father had been afraid of the bond.
This wasn't simply about protection.
It was about a choice.
A choice that, somehow, would involve her and Dante.
And she had a terrible feeling that the choice was coming sooner than either of them expected.
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