Chapter Four:unseen chains
957 Words
Elena stared at her bathroom mirror, her towel wrapped loosely around her chest. The steam had fogged the glass, but not enough to hide the truth.
The mark on her neck.
It had darkened overnight, as if something ancient was blooming beneath her skin. It wasn’t just a scar—it pulsed faintly like it had its own heartbeat. Her fingers hovered over it, never quite touching. The moment she did, her body flared with heat, like the memory of Lucien’s voice was stitched into her flesh.
“You’re tethered to me now.”
She shook her head, blinking away the thought. It was 9:40 a.m. She had class in twenty minutes. If she let herself spiral, she wouldn’t leave the room at all—and that would mean losing control. That wasn’t an option. Not now.
She pulled on her jeans and hoodie, ignoring how tight her body felt in her own skin, like something foreign was moving underneath. The moment she stepped out of her dorm room, the air around her felt different—heavier. Every passing student felt like a blur, their conversations distant, meaningless. All she could think of was him.
Lucien.
She hadn’t seen him since that night outside the club. And still, it was like his presence lingered in every shadow she passed. She hated how her mind kept conjuring him—the silver eyes, the voice like smoke, the terrifying pull of his energy.
In her lecture hall, she sat near the back, hoping the shadows would offer some sort of shelter. But the moment the professor began to speak, her phone vibrated.
Unknown Number:
You're not safe.
Elena blinked. She read the message again.
Unknown Number:
They’ve noticed the mark. Get out of the open.
She glanced around. Everyone seemed focused on the slides. No one was watching her. She felt her heart pick up.
Elena:
Who is this?
Unknown Number:
Someone who doesn’t want you dead.
Dead? Her throat went dry. She stared at the message, a chill crawling up her spine.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again—this time with a call. Her breath caught when she saw the caller ID.
Lucien.
She answered without thinking. “What the hell is going on?”
His voice was clipped, dark. “You need to leave. Now.”
“Why? What—”
“Elena,” he cut in, “I can feel them circling you. There are others. Hunters.”
She nearly dropped her phone. “Hunters? Like vampire slayers? That’s not real—”
“You thought I wasn’t real either. Now move.”
The call ended. Elena didn’t wait. She grabbed her bag and bolted from the lecture hall, not caring about the stares. Her instincts had taken over. Her legs carried her across campus in a blur until she reached the edge of the parking lot. She ducked into a narrow alley between two faculty buildings, her heart racing.
“Over here.”
Lucien stepped out of the shadows like he belonged to them. His eyes weren’t silver—they were pitch black now, dangerous. Her breath hitched.
“You look different,” she said.
“I’m hunting,” he replied simply. “And protecting.”
“I don’t need—”
“You don’t understand what’s happening to you,” he growled, stepping closer. “That mark isn’t just a tether. It’s a beacon. It tells every creature in this city that you’re tied to me.”
“I didn’t ask for this!”
“You think I planned it?” His tone was sharp. “The blood bond is rare. It’s not created. It’s awakened.”
Her chest tightened. “So now what? I live like your... pet?”
Lucien stepped close enough that her back hit the cold brick wall behind her. His hand didn’t touch her, but the tension between them made her knees weak.
“You’re not a pet,” he said, voice low. “You’re mine. And that means no one else gets to harm you.”
Elena swallowed, her body humming with the dark pull of him. “I still have a life.”
“Not anymore,” he said, simply. “You stepped into my world the second I tasted your blood.”
Her cheeks flared. “That was your choice.”
“And it’s one I’ll bleed for,” he whispered, something tortured slipping into his tone. “I’ve killed men for less. But for you…”
He looked away for a moment, as if fighting something deep inside.
“I don’t know what you’ve done to me,” he admitted. “I haven’t felt this alive in centuries. It terrifies me.”
Her heart thumped wildly. “Good,” she whispered. “I hope I terrify you.”
That made him smirk—just faintly—but it faded just as fast. “You have no idea what you’re playing with, Elena.”
“I’m not playing,” she said. “I’m surviving.”
Their eyes locked. The tension was molten now. And when he stepped back, it felt like a piece of her stayed behind, stuck to him.
He reached into his coat and handed her something. A small silver dagger. Elegant. Deadly.
“Keep it on you,” he said. “If anything other than me gets close enough to taste your blood, use it.”
She took it, her fingers brushing his. The mark on her neck throbbed.
“I’m going to regret this,” he murmured.
“What?”
“Falling for you.”
And with that, he vanished, leaving her alone once again—marked, changed, and no longer part of the world she thought she knows
- Writer
