Black Swan

TiesThatBind

Night pressed on like velvet against the window as Selene sank deeper into the steaming bath, the floral scent of rose oil curling in the surrounding air. The soft flicker of candlelight made shadows dance along the tile walls.

Lucas sat behind her in the tub, fully bare, his long legs bracketing hers beneath the water, his hands gently moving through her curls. He worked slow, careful fingers through her hair, rubbing her scalp with soothing precision, his fingertips occasionally grazing her skin just enough to make her shiver.

"You, Selene Brooks," Lucas began, voice low and rich, "are unlike anything walking this earth."

Selene's eyes fluttered closed as she leaned back against his chest.

"I tried to resist you," he murmured against the shell of her ear, "but I just couldn't." He let that settle as his fingers traced the curve of her neck. "It makes you a dangerous woman... powerful beyond reckoning, making me want you even more."

Selene's heart pounded harder, hearing him confess this.

"And since I've marked you," he added, his tone darkening, "anyone who dare try to harm you will have to answer to me." The words made something inside her curl tight.

She swallowed, her body tensing as he lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit deep. "Who would try to harm me, Lucas?" she asked, hopefully it wouldn't be another vampire. She didn't know what other creatures lurked out there. Lucas couldn't answer her, he couldn't tell her that it was he who tried to kill her and her brother. To take their minds off the conversation, his hands roamed her body while he kissed her neck. Fangs on the cusp of biting into her delicate neck again, he needed just another taste of her sweet blood. She moaned as his fingers gently rubbed her c**t.

"Lucas..." she moaned in a warning tone, and gripped his wrist to pause his movements. She was still sore from their last time f*****g.

Lucas nipped at her neck while kissing her, "just one more time..." he murmured against her skin as his fingers rubbed gentle circles against her throbbing c**t. She nodded, squirming and writhing her hips against his d**k. His other hand gripped her tit, pinching and pulling the hard n****e as Selene's moans filled the bathroom. He whispered little affirmations to her, urging her to come on his fingers as he plunged the thick fingers into her wet folds. As he did that, he took that time to bite her again, letting her sweet blood run into his hungry mouth and down her chest.

He took his other hand off her breast, and placed his finger against her lips as her cries became louder. "Shh, shh," he shushed against her ear with blood dripping from his mouth, his fingers still pumping in and out of her. "Let me give myself to you," putting his wrist up to his mouth and biting it, he brought it up to her lips to drink. Thick, dark crimson blood welled up from the wound, pouring into her mouth.

"Drink," he said, holding his wrist to her lips. "This will bind us together. If you need me, even in your dreams, I'll come."

Selene swallowed the blood, the taste was intoxicating, tingling down her throat like liquid gold. Her body shuddered as warmth bloomed in her belly as she came.

Lucas's groan was low watching her lick the bite mark. When she finally pulled away, she sighed, their breaths mingling in the humid air.

"You're mine now, Selene," he rumbled, his voice roughened by something deeper than desire.

They stayed in the bath until the water turned cool, their bodies tangled in quiet comfort. He toweled her off carefully, reverently, then carried her to her bed as if she weighed nothing.

He didn't touch her beyond what was tender and protective—but the bond between them crackled, undeniable.

Lucas sat at her bedside until she fell asleep, watching her with something unreadable in his dark eyes. Only when her breathing softened did he finally slip away, vanishing into the night like a shadow.

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Later, Lucas returned to his estate just as the first hints of dawn painted the sky a faint night blue. Inside, the manor pulsed with low music, the metallic scent of blood hanging in the air. In the living room, Zara and Liam lounged lazily. Their lips still stained from feeding, while Liam sat with a smug grin, petting the hair of a young feeder that lay helpless on his lap.

Liam's voice broke the quiet, sharp and taunting.

"How was the council meeting, brother?" His words dripped with mockery. "Did Prince Hendrick tighten your leash?"

Lucas's expression was unreadable. "I've got it handled, Liam."

He turned to leave, but Liam's nose twitched as he sniffed the air loudly, a sly grin spread across his face.

"Y'know, Luke...," Liam drawled, pushing the young feeder off of him slowly as she fell on the ground with a 'thud'. "I can smell that wretched woman on you."

Lucas froze, his jaw tightening.

"You went to your little trollop's house, didn't you?" Liam's voice turned gleeful, all venom and silk.

Lucas didn't respond, but the tension in his body said enough.

"What did I tell you about playing with your food before you eat it, hm?" Liam asked, getting up to get in Lucas' face.

Lucas pushed Liam back gently, "Leave Selene out of this...you don't know anything about her or what's going on."

Zara shot up, shock on her face at the mention of Selene, her voice breaking through the sharpness. "Y—You've seen Selene? Is she... okay?"

There was guilt in her eyes—genuine, trembling around the edges.

Lucas gave her a curt nod. "She's fine."

Zara looked relieved, but Liam only cackled darkly from the couch. Without another word, Lucas turned and stalked away, slamming his office door behind him. Zara glared at him as he only shrugged playfully.

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The next night, Selene wasn't expecting the knock at her door. Hoping that it was Lucas, she answered cautiously, only to freeze at the sight of Zara standing on her porch—pale but her skin glowing, her once-brown eyes now bright amber.

"Selene...I... I'm sorry," Zara rasped, her voice thick with remorse. "For what I did to you."

Selene's chest tightened.

"Liam," Zara continued, shame creeping across her face, "Um...my maker... he turned me. I didn't choose this. I—"

But before Zara could finish, Selene stepped forward and pulled her into a fierce, grounding hug.

"You didn't choose this," Selene whispered firmly against her ear. "This isn't your fault."

Zara's shoulders shook as she clung to her. "The thirst... it's always there. I work nights at the hospital. I feed off cadavers... or donor bags. I'm trying to be normal, Selene, I swear."

Selene took her hand gently and guided her inside. "Come in. We've got a lot to talk about."

Inside, the two women sat close as Selene poured herself tea, the weight of supernatural worlds pressing in around them.

Selene didn't hold back.

She told Zara everything—about Rosamund's revelations about her and Malik, the hidden truth about their parents, the night she and Lucas kissed, the bond they'd forged, and the steamy hours that followed. She admitted how Lucas's blood burned in her veins now, tethering them in ways she couldn't yet fully explain.

Zara listened, wide-eyed but fascinated,"You really trust him?" she asked softly.

Selene's cheeks flushed faintly, but her answer was steady.

"...I don't know if I have a choice anymore."

And for the first time in days, they both shared a small, knowing smile—two women tangled in a web of darkness, trying to navigate it together.