BLOODBOUND

Chapter 4

THE TRUTH IN THE DARK

Amara had spent the entire day avoiding Lucien.

It should have been easy.

Northwood University was enormous. There were hundreds of students, dozens of buildings, and more than enough places to disappear.

Yet somehow, every corridor seemed to lead back to him.

She saw him at the end of a hallway.

She turned around.

She saw Adrian outside the cafeteria.

She changed direction.

She caught sight of Elena near the library.

She practically ran.

It was ridiculous.

She didn’t even know what she was afraid of.

Not exactly.

She only knew that something about Lucien was wrong.

And she had promised herself she wouldn’t think about him anymore.

Unfortunately, her heart had never been particularly good at following instructions.

She still remembered the way he’d looked at her.

The way his voice softened when he said her name.

The way he’d stood between her and whatever had been hiding in the trees the night before.

And that was the part she hated most.

Because she was still attracted to him.

Even now.

Even when every instinct told her to stay away.

“Get over him,” she whispered to herself.

Her heart ignored her.

By sunset, Amara was exhausted.

She stayed late at the library, hoping the campus would be quieter by the time she left.

It was.

Too quiet.

She stepped outside and immediately felt the difference.

The usual sounds of students talking and laughing had disappeared.

The wind moved gently through the trees.

Her footsteps echoed against the pavement.

Amara pulled her phone from her pocket.

8:43 p.m.

She should have called Maya.

Instead, she kept walking.

Then she heard it.

A sound behind her.

She stopped.

Silence.

She turned.

Nothing.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’m officially losing my mind.”

She started walking again.

The sound came back.

A footstep.

Then another.

Closer.

Amara’s heart began pounding.

She turned around sharply.

“Who’s there?”

Nothing.

Then a voice answered.

“You shouldn’t be walking alone.”

Amara froze.

A man stepped out from between the trees.

She didn’t recognize him.

He was young.

At least, he looked young.

Pale skin.

Dark hair.

A black coat.

And eyes that seemed almost unnaturally bright beneath the moonlight.

Amara took a step backward.

“Who are you?”

He smiled.

It wasn’t a friendly smile.

“You’re Amara Vale.”

Her stomach dropped.

“How do you know my name?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he tilted his head.

“You smell different.”

Every hair on Amara’s arms rose.

“What?”

He moved closer.

She moved back.

“Don’t.”

His smile widened.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

Fear finally overtook curiosity.

Amara turned and ran.

She didn’t get far.

A hand grabbed her wrist.

She screamed.

The man pulled her backward.

His face came dangerously close to hers.

Amara fought him.

“Let me go!”

His grip tightened.

Then he stopped.

His nostrils flared.

His expression changed.

“What are you?”

Amara stared at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His eyes darkened.

Then his teeth changed.

Amara’s breath disappeared.

Two sharp fangs slid past his lips.

She stopped struggling.

Her mind refused to process what she was seeing.

“No…”

The man smiled.

“Yes.”

He leaned closer.

And then—

CRACK.

He was ripped away from her.

Amara stumbled to the ground.

Lucien stood between them.

For one second, he didn’t move.

Then he turned.

“Amara.”

She stared at him.

Relief hit her first.

Then confusion.

Then fear.

Because his eyes weren’t the eyes she’d seen in class.

They were black.

Completely black.

“Run,” he said.

Amara couldn’t move.

“Lucien…”

“Run.”

The other man attacked.

Lucien moved.

Amara barely saw it happen.

One second the stranger was standing several feet away.

The next, Lucien had him pinned against a tree.

The impact shook the branches.

Amara’s mouth fell open.

That wasn’t human.

No human could move like that.

The stranger laughed.

“You’re protecting her?”

Lucien’s jaw tightened.

“Leave.”

“You know what she is.”

Lucien went still.

Amara noticed.

“What did you say?”

Neither man answered.

The stranger looked directly at her.

“You really don’t know, do you?”

Lucien’s expression hardened.

“Enough.”

The stranger smiled.

Then he lunged.

The fight exploded across the clearing.

Amara stumbled backward.

Lucien and the stranger moved impossibly fast.

Too fast.

A blur of black clothing.

A flash of teeth.

A fist against a tree.

A growl that sounded nothing like a human voice.

Amara covered her mouth.

Her entire body was shaking.

She wanted to run.

She couldn’t.

Because Lucien was fighting for her.

And she didn’t understand why.

The stranger managed to grab Lucien by the throat.

Amara watched helplessly.

Then Lucien’s eyes flashed red.

His fangs appeared.

He drove the stranger backward with such force that the man crashed into the ground.

Silence.

Amara stared.

Lucien slowly turned toward her.

Blood stained the corner of his mouth.

His chest rose and fell.

His eyes were still red.

And his fangs were still there.

Amara couldn’t breathe.

“No.”

Lucien took one careful step toward her.

She immediately stepped back.

He stopped.

“Amara.”

“Don’t.”

He froze.

Her eyes filled with tears.

“What are you?”

Lucien said nothing.

“Tell me.”

His expression broke.

Just slightly.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“That isn’t what I asked.”

Silence.

Amara’s voice trembled.

“What are you?”

Lucien looked away.

Then back at her.

“A vampire.”

The world seemed to stop.

Amara stared at him.

She wanted to laugh.

She wanted to tell him that this was some ridiculous joke.

She wanted to wake up.

Instead, a tear slipped down her cheek.

“No.”

“Amara—”

“No.”

She shook her head violently.

“Vampires aren’t real.”

Lucien didn’t move.

“Your mother told you that?”

Amara’s heart stopped.

“How do you know what my mother told me?”

Lucien realized his mistake.

She saw it in his face.

“You’ve been watching me.”

“I’ve been trying to keep you safe.”

“From what?”

He didn’t answer.

“From you?”

His eyes softened.

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Because you don’t understand what’s happening.”

“Then explain it!”

Her voice cracked.

Lucien looked at her for a long moment.

“I can’t.”

Amara laughed bitterly.

“Of course you can’t.”

She wiped her cheeks.

“You’ve been lying to me since the day I met you.”

“I never lied.”

“You let me think you were human!”

“You never asked.”

The words escaped him.

The second they did, he regretted them.

Amara stared at him.

Then she laughed again.

This time, there was hurt in it.

“So that’s your defense?”

“No.”

“You knew I liked you.”

Lucien went completely still.

Amara realized what she’d said.

Her face burned.

She looked away.

“I—”

She swallowed.

“Forget it.”

Lucien’s expression changed.

“You like me?”

“Don’t.”

“Amara…”

“I said don’t.”

She backed away from him.

“You’re a vampire.”

“Yes.”

“You have fangs.”

“Yes.”

“You can move faster than any human I’ve ever seen.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve been watching me.”

His voice became quiet.

“Yes.”

Her chest tightened.

“Why?”

Lucien looked at her.

For the first time, he seemed genuinely afraid.

“I don’t know.”

Amara shook her head.

“That makes two of us.”

She turned.

“Amara.”

She kept walking.

“Please.”

She stopped.

But she didn’t turn around.

Lucien’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“You should stay away from me.”

A bitter smile touched her lips.

“Finally, something we agree on.”

Then she walked away.

Lucien remained in the clearing long after she disappeared.

The other vampire was gone.

He didn’t care.

He could only think about the look on Amara’s face.

Fear.

Betrayal.

And beneath it—

something he didn’t deserve.

Love.

She had fallen for him.

And he’d known nothing about it.

Adrian appeared from the darkness.

“You let her go.”

Lucien didn’t answer.

Damon and Elias emerged behind him.

Elena came last.

She looked toward the direction Amara had gone.

“She’ll be terrified.”

Lucien closed his eyes.

“I know.”

Elena walked closer.

“You need to stay away from her now.”

Lucien opened his eyes.

“I know.”

But none of them missed the fact that he didn’t sound convinced.

Amara reached home nearly an hour later.

She didn’t speak.

She walked upstairs.

Locked her bedroom door.

And sat on the floor.

Her hands were still shaking.

She pressed them against her face.

She had spent days wondering what was wrong with Lucien.

Now she knew.

And somehow, knowing was worse.

Her mother was right.

Her father was right.

Something had been hiding from her.

Something old.

Something dangerous.

Something with red eyes and fangs.

Something named Lucien.

Amara crawled into bed.

She pulled the blanket over herself.

Then whispered the words she’d been trying not to admit all night.

“I still love him.”

A tear rolled down her cheek.

And somewhere across the city, a vampire who had lived for centuries stood at his window, staring into the darkness.

For the first time in a very long time, Lucien Veyr was afraid.

Not of death.

Not of hunters.

Not of the vampires who would come looking for Amara.

He was afraid of something far more dangerous.

He was falling in love with Her.