My Vampire Thralls

Chapter 24: A Wicked Bargain

Whether vampire or human, emotions are rarely things that can be easily tamed.

The dryness in his throat grew sharper, but another sensation—something like a tidal wave—crashed over him, suppressing the primal urge to feed. Xavier felt his appetite for Seraphina’s blood mutate into something far darker, a visceral craving that ran deeper than mere hunger.

His eyes bled into a deep, bruising crimson. His gaze, thick and heavy, slid down the curve of her neck before coming to rest on her lips, which were parted slightly as she struggled for breath.

Seraphina, however, was oblivious to the shift. Her head was bowed, blood still weeping from the wound at her throat. The metallic scent of copper hung heavy in the air—she couldn't even tell if it was Xavier’s blood or her own anymore.

Vampires are like hounds; they can smell blood from miles away, she thought grimly. It won't be long before others are drawn here.

Xavier murmured her name again, his voice dropping into a low, honeyed caress that felt far too intimate for the blade she held at his chest.

"I’ve been told I have a rather handsome face," he said, his "puppy-dog" eyes radiating a desperate, magnetic charm. "I’ve never actually kissed anyone before. Do you want to be the first?"

The absurdity of the situation grated on her. Was he rambling because death was knocking at his door, or was she finally losing her mind from blood loss?

Seraphina’s gaze swept over his features, inch by agonizing inch. "Is that your dying wish?" she asked coldly.

Xavier’s grin turned wicked. "Then I want to do it with you."

"In your dreams," Seraphina snapped.

He was truly insane. She began to calculate exactly how long it would take to wrench her dagger out and plunge it straight into his heart.

But Xavier wasn't finished. His eyes remained bright, fixed on her with unsettling intensity. "I’m serious... give me one kiss, and I’ll be your dog. Completely and utterly yours. What do you say?".

"I already have enough obedient pets," Seraphina countered. "Why would I adopt a rabid hound that bites?"

She knew Xavier was the type to hide a dagger behind a smile. The prospect of an alliance with him didn't tempt her in the slightest.

Xavier winced as the silver toxin from her weapon began to seep into his veins. "I could find things out for you... about Silas. How does that sound?".

The mention of her brother made Seraphina’s grip falter ever so slightly.

She remained looming over him, her weight pinning him down. "I can get information about Silas from Theodore or Micah. What makes you so special?".

"The Spring Hunt," Xavier said slowly, fighting the instinct to lung for her exposed throat. "The vampires drive the captured Hunters into the forest like cattle."

He spoke of how those foolish enough to try and cross the woods in search of the reclusive Progenitor usually ended up dead at the hands of high-ranking vassals before they could even glimpse a Sovereign’s face.

"Your family might not be dead," he whispered. "The Third Seat of the Hunter Association... if he hasn't been turned, he’s killed enough of our kind that they wouldn't let him die easily. He might still be alive... suffering. Ha, don’t look at me like that, darling.".

Seraphina felt her hands begin to tremble.

Would Silas die? And if so, how? Drained until he was nothing but a husk?

A suffocating weight settled in her chest. That was actually the better outcome. She couldn't bear to imagine what the vengeful, cruel vampires would do to their ancestral enemies.

Xavier felt the spike of her murderous intent. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. "Keep me alive. You already have the Scepter and Wild Rose clans in your pocket, and a tyrant like Demyan has his sights on you... one more protector won't hurt.".

Seraphina looked down at him, her voice flat. "I have no reason to trust you."

If she pulled back the blade, what was stopping this lunatic from ripping her throat out?

Xavier glanced toward the dark treeline. The scent of blood was too thick to hide, even with his own mixed in. He could feel his kin approaching, and the aura at the lead was uncomfortably familiar.

Theodore Canaster certainly moved fast. It seemed the young master of the Scepter Clan had fallen for the human girl far harder than he realized.

Poor fledgling, Xavier thought with a smirk. Being played like a toy by a mere mortal.

Using his free hand, Xavier brushed Seraphina’s bangs back, his thumb ghosting over the skin near her wound. He then brought his blood-stained fingers to his own lips, tasting her essence with a slow, deliberate provocativeness.

The sweetness of her blood dulled his pain instantly. To his disappointment, Seraphina remained entirely unmoved by his display.

"It’s a choice between dying together or living together, darling. I can wait for you to decide."

He was right, and Seraphina knew it. She was running on empty.

She stumbled as she tried to stand, and though Xavier reached out to steady her, she found her footing on her own.

"Don't move," she commanded.

"Is that a yes? When do we kiss?" Xavier called out after her.

Seraphina suppressed the urge to perform a lobotomy on him right then and there. How could he speak of such things in a literal pool of blood?

"Seraphina." Xavier remained on the ground, but as she looked back, he tilted his head and tapped two fingers against his pale throat. "Next time... use that Mark on me instead, won't you?".

Why waste such a gift on someone like Micah?.

Seraphina ignored him. She quickly tore a strip of fabric from the hem of her shirt, fashioned a makeshift bandage, and tied it tightly over the wound.

It was much deeper than the mark Theodore had left.

Avoiding Xavier, she dragged herself toward a nearby thicket for cover. A rustle in the branches above made her look up, meeting a pair of dark, shadowed eyes. A young boy stood perched on a high limb; she couldn't see his face clearly, but her heart stayed calm. He didn't seem interested in attacking.

A human?

She tried to get a better look, but the figure vanished into the canopy in the blink of an eye.

By then, Seraphina’s strength had finally vanished. She slid down against the trunk of a tree, her fingers tracing the metal ID tag in her pocket.

I only have one brother. He can't really be dead.

As she sat there, wondering how she would survive until dawn, the sound of rushing wind stirred the leaves. Through her blurred vision, a familiar silhouette appeared.

"Hey! Are you still—"

Theodore Canaster didn't finish his sentence. His pupils contracted in shock.

The moment Seraphina saw him, the last of her adrenaline faded, and she succumbed to the darkness of blood loss.

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In the shimmering haze of a dream, Seraphina remembered her childhood.

She had always been the social one, the one with a swarm of friends. Silas was different. Even though they were twins, Silas was often picked on. Whenever that happened, Seraphina would ditch her friends and stand up for him.

The small boy would hide behind her, clutching her sleeve, his voice filled with pure, unadulterated adoration.

"Sister, you're my hero."

Seraphina’s eyes snapped open.

The clinical scent of disinfectant filled her nose, and the first thing she saw was a sterile, bright white ceiling. A hospital.

She instinctively reached for her neck. It was bandaged, though the ache from Xavier’s bite remained.

I was ready to kill him, and he decided to play the romantic lead? she thought bitterly. Madman.

The door creaked open, and a nurse glanced in. "Oh, you're awake? You heal remarkably fast. Rest a bit more, and then you're free to go."

"Just be careful not to exert yourself for a few days. Try not to... 'bump' into anything next time."

Seraphina muttered a thank you. She climbed out of bed and realized someone had changed her clothes. Her torn shirt and blood-stained pants were gone, replaced by a fresh set. Only her sneakers remained.

She rubbed her face. Had the young master Theodore really been the one to change her?

Outside, the sun was bright. It was a weekend, and the hospital wasn't far from her apartment. She bought a loaded Jianbing from a street stall and munched on it as she walked home.

To be honest, she was surprised she was already back on her feet.

She reached her floor, nodding to a few neighbors heading out, and waited for the elevator.

What now?

The situation was still precarious. Even if those vampires were willing to help her find Silas, the academy was a minefield of unstable variables. There was Demyan, and there was Micah—whom she still didn't have a reliable way to control.

By the time she reached her front door, the Jianbing was mostly gone.

She sighed. Even her home didn't feel particularly safe anymore.

As she opened the door, her eyes fell on something lying on the floor of the entryway. She leaned down and picked it up.

It was an invitation—heavy, black cardstock with elegant gold-foiled edges.

Seraphina stood in the doorway and opened it. The shimmering gold script read:

Dear Ms. Seraphina,

The Vampire Hunter Association cordially invites you to attend.