BLOODBOUND

Chapter Six - Bound By Blood

The mansion shook again.

Dust drifted from the ceiling as another crash thundered through the upper floor.

Alexander tightened his grip on my hand.

“Run.”

I barely had time to react before he pulled me down the corridor.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere the house can’t reach.”

“That doesn’t sound possible.”

“It isn’t.”

His answer sent a chill through me.

We reached a massive wooden door at the end of the hallway.

Alexander pulled it open.

Inside was a narrow stone staircase descending into darkness.

I stopped.

“No.”

He turned toward me.

“You trust me?”

I stared into his eyes.

That was the problem.

I did.

More than I should.

“Yes.”

His expression softened for half a second.

Then he pulled me inside.

The door slammed shut behind us.

Silence.

We descended.

One step.

Then another.

The air grew colder.

The red mark on my wrist pulsed with every heartbeat.

“What is this place?”

Alexander didn’t answer.

“Alexander.”

He stopped.

I nearly walked into him.

He turned slowly.

“This is where the first blood oath was made.”

My stomach tightened.

“Between who?”

His eyes darkened.

“Your bloodline…”

He paused.

“And mine.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“The oath wasn’t created to protect you.”

He stepped closer.

“It was created to bind us.”

My heart stopped.

“Bind us how?”

His jaw tightened.

“Together.”

The word echoed through the darkness.

I shook my head.

“No. That’s impossible.”

Alexander reached for my wrist but stopped before touching me.

“I’ve spent years trying to break the oath.”

“And now?”

His gaze dropped to the glowing mark.

“Now it’s awake.”

A sudden pain shot through my wrist.

I gasped.

Alexander caught me before I fell.

The symbol burned brighter.

Then a voice whispered through the stone walls.

Blood recognizes blood.

I froze.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes.”

His arms tightened around me.

The voice came again.

The bond must be completed.

Alexander’s face went pale.

“What does that mean?”

He looked at me.

“It means the oath has chosen us.”

My breathing became uneven.

“I don’t want some ancient spell deciding who I belong to.”

His eyes hardened.

“Neither do I.”

“Then let me go.”

He didn’t.

Instead, he pulled me closer.

Not cruelly.

Desperately.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because every time I try to walk away from you…”

His voice broke slightly.

“The bond pulls me back.”

I stared at him.

“And if I fight it?”

“Then it fights back.”

The walls suddenly cracked.

A black shadow moved behind us.

Alexander pushed me behind him.

Something growled from the darkness.

His eyes flashed an unnatural silver.

“Stay behind me.”

The creature lunged.

Alexander raised his hand.

A wave of black energy exploded through the tunnel.

The creature vanished into the darkness with a scream.

I stared at him.

“You’re not human.”

He slowly turned toward me.

“No.”

The word was barely a whisper.

“I never was.”

My heart raced.

“What are you?”

He stepped closer.

“A man cursed to protect the woman whose blood can destroy him.”

My eyes widened.

“And that’s me?”

His gaze locked onto mine.

“You are the only person who can kill me.”

Silence.

Then he added softly,

“And the only person I would willingly die for.”

The words struck deeper than they should have.

I looked away.

“This doesn’t mean I belong to you.”

Alexander’s expression became unreadable.

“No.”

He reached for my hand.

“But the oath thinks you do.”

The mark on my wrist suddenly connected with his palm.

Light flashed between us.

I cried out.

Alexander staggered.

A second symbol appeared on his hand.

The same symbol.

The same blood-red glow.

We stared at each other.

The bond had changed.

Whatever had been between us before was no longer just attraction.

It was something darker.

Stronger.

Something neither of us could easily escape.

Alexander leaned closer.

“You should hate me.”

“Maybe I do.”

His eyes searched mine.

“But?”

I swallowed.

“But I can’t stop wanting you near me.”

His expression softened.

For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.

Not fear of the creature.

Not fear of the mansion.

Fear of me.

Then the voice returned.

The blood has chosen.

The staircase began to collapse.

Alexander grabbed me and pulled me against his chest.

“Hold on.”

“To what?”

His arms tightened around me.

“Me.”

The darkness swallowed us.

And somewhere beneath the mansion…

something ancient woke up.

Something that had been waiting centuries for our blood to become one.

And I knew, with terrifying certainty, that escaping Alexander might be impossible.

But the real question was—

did I still want to?