Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1)(89)

“I am not here because Aleric made me. Yes, he brought me here, but I’m not asking for another chance because of your asshole brother force blood bonding me. I’m asking you—“

“What?” Warin interrupted me, a flare of anger taking over his face. The change was feral and terrifying as fuck. “He did what?”

“Uh… blood bonded… me?” I squeaked.

“Aleric!” It was a roar, but the dark power welling up around my beloved was what made me take a startled step backward. His nostrils flared, his eyes nearly black with fury.

“W-what’s happening?” I stuttered. “Warin—?”

The study door banged open and Aleric came stumbling in, a hand pressed tight against his ribs. “Fuck, calm down!” he groaned through gritted teeth.

“You forced a blood bond on my beloved?” Warin snarled. “Without my permission? Against her will?”

Aleric groaned again and dropped to his knees. “Had to. You were suffering, Warin, I—“

Warin’s growl shut him up. “You went against my direct orders—you brought her here against her will, and tied her with your blood! You know what the punishment is!”

Aleric drew in a shuddering breath and finally lowered his hand from his ribs. “I do. Do what you must, Elder. I do not regret my actions.”

“You will,” Warin promised, his voice low and deadly.

“Warin,” I interrupted as he made to step toward the other vampire. When he looked at me, I reached out for him again, placing a hand on his arm. “Stop it. Please.”

He didn’t respond, but at least he didn’t advance on Aleric, either.

“Your brother’s an ass, but he did what he did for you. I know that, even if I’m not happy about his methods. And he came to get me when I was too much of a coward to come on my own. Please, can we… can we just talk?”

Warin drew in a shuddering breath, and as quickly as the anger had arrived, it melted off his features until only weary regret remained. Slowly, he lifted a hand to touch my hair. “No, my love. You need to leave before it’s too late. If we talk, it will be too late.”

“W-what do you mean?” I whispered. Was he really… sending me away? I blinked my tears away, but they just kept coming.

“I mean that if you stay, Liv… if we talk... if you tell me you’re sorry, I won’t… I won’t be able to let you leave again. Ever.” He brushed his hand from my hair to my cheek, capturing the trickle of tears with the pad of his thumb. “Leave, my love. Now. If you ever wish to be free again, you have to leave.”

I shook my head and clutched his hands, pressing my cheek into his cool palm. “No, Warin. I don’t want to leave. I don’t ever want to leave.”

“Don’t say that,” he said, a sliver of the growl making its way back into his voice. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I’m saying I love you, and I want to be yours. Just yours.” I kissed his palm and looked up into his eyes, willing him to understand the depth of my devotion. And the sincerity of my regret. “There is no freedom away from you. There is just pain. I don’t know why… I don’t understand why I need you, but I do. I need you so much it hurts, Warin. Please. Don’t send me away. Please. Forgive me.”

He closed his eyes with a soft groan, tangling his hand in my hair and pulling me closer to his strong body as he buried his face against the side of my head. “Liv… you deserve so much more. I am… so tainted. So… wretched. I fear, if you stay… I will swallow your light and pull you into my darkness. When you left… I almost… I was going to force you back, I… I was going to hurt people, anyone I had to, to get you back. This darkness inside of me, the monster… it’s still there. It will never go away. All I want, Liv, all I ache for, is to tie you to my side. I love you so deeply, I love you with everything I am, everything—and what I am, my love… It’s dark and it’s ugly. And if you don’t run, I fear I will take you, and I’ll break the light within you. It’s what I did, before. When I escaped my Sire. I broke everything beautiful in my path. Please, don’t let me break you, too. I beg you, Liv. I can’t… I can’t hurt you. I can’t bear the thought of looking into your eyes and not see your light. Leave me. I beg you. Leave. Now.”

“Warin,” I whispered, pulling my head back so I could lock my gaze in his. “I’m not leaving. Not now, not ever.”

“Liv—“

“No. I know you. You are here, inside me.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “I can feel you—I can see you. You are not a monster. And you will never hurt me. I know your fears, I know why you’re so scared of doing to me what your Sire did to you, but you won’t. You can’t. It’s just me and you now, Warin. He’s not here. He can’t hurt you—he can’t make you hurt me.” I moved my hand from my chest to his, where he’d once told me he still felt the broken bond to the vampire who Changed him. “He was a monster. And for a long time, even after his death, you carried him with you. But he has no more power over you. And you will never, ever be alone again. I am here, Warin. And I’m not leaving you. Never again.”

“My beautiful fool,” he whispered, his hand coming up to press against mine. “It’s too late. You’re out of time. You belong to me now. Forever and always.”