After the tense day, each of them had retreated into their chambers, silence settling like a blanket over the Ravenshade Manor.
In Alaric's chamber, a knock broke the stillness.
He turned from the window, where he had been gazing at the moon, lost in thoughts of war, bloodlines, and the council's ever-tightening noose.
"Come in," he said, voice calm but curious.
The door creaked open, and Seraphine stepped inside, dressed in a soft robe, her eyes hesitant but earnest.
"Seraphine?" he asked gently. "Is something wrong?"
She stepped closer, cheeks flushed, eyes fixed on his. "The other day… when I asked to feed on you…"
Alaric raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"What does it really mean?" she asked quietly. "The act of feeding, for vampires?"
Alaric stilled.
Then he slowly approached her, his voice like velvet and thunder. "Feeding… for us, it's more than survival. It's intimacy. Passion. A form of connection deeper than touch. Equivalent to… the most sacred union between lovers."
Seraphine's eyes widened, her breath catching. "Then… when I asked to feed on you—"
"You initiated something deeper than you realized," he finished for her, his lips curving into a soft, knowing smile. "It was a bold move, my darling."
Her hands flew to her flushed cheeks. "I didn't know… I thought it was just hunger…"
Alaric chuckled lowly and stepped close. "Then allow me to return the gesture."
Her eyes met his, wide and vulnerable. "You've never fed on me. Why?"
His hands cupped her cheeks tenderly, his forehead resting against hers.
"Because back then, you were still human. If I had lost control even once… you wouldn't have survived. I couldn't bear to harm you."
She swallowed, heart thundering in her chest.
"And now?" she whispered.
He lifted her chin, his lips brushing hers in a kiss that trembled with centuries of restraint finally slipping. Then he kissed her fully, deeply—passionately—as though imprinting her taste in his soul.
"Now… I can no longer resist," he murmured against her lips.
Seraphine tilted her head, exposing the graceful line of her neck to him willingly. Her trust was absolute.
Alaric's eyes glowed crimson, fangs elongating slowly.
"May I?"
She nodded, breathless.
With reverence, his lips touched her neck, and then his fangs pierced her skin. The moment was electrifying—pleasure laced with power, heat with surrender. She gasped softly, clinging to him as he fed, not just on her blood, but on the bond that tethered them through lifetimes.
When he finally withdrew, he sealed the wound with a gentle kiss. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, glowing faintly with the bond they had just deepened.
He cradled her against him, both of them breathless.
"You're mine now, Seraphine. In every sense," he whispered.
She reached for him, their lips meeting again as the night unfolded in a sacred dance of lovers long separated by fate, now reunited through blood and soul.
They lay entangled beneath the moonlight, whispers of love exchanged in the hush of the night—two ancient souls rediscovering each other, body and spirit, at last as one.
The morning sun filtered gently through the thick curtains of the Ravenshade estate. The world outside stirred awake with birdsong and breeze, but inside, the quiet halls held whispers of a night that had forever changed two souls.
Caveen had awoken early. Something about the morning felt different—an energy shift he couldn't explain. He stepped into the hallway, stretching his arms, when movement caught his eye.
From the far end of the corridor, Seraphine stepped out of Alaric's chamber, her face flushed, hair slightly tousled, robe tightened hurriedly around her. She looked side to side, ensuring the hall was empty.
Caveen's eyes widened. "Oh…"
He ducked behind one of the stone pillars, lips twitching in amusement. When she disappeared safely into her own room, he waited a beat before striding toward Alaric's door.
Knock. Knock.
"Enter," came the low, familiar voice.
Caveen stepped in with a grin. "Well, well, good morning, brother."
Alaric, already half-dressed in a crisp shirt and dark trousers, glanced up from the map laid on his table. "Morning," he greeted without suspicion.
"So…" Caveen drawled, eyes mischievous. "Anything you want to share? Or should I pretend I didn't see Seraphine doing the walk of shame out of your room?"
Alaric raised an eyebrow, amused. "Walk of shame? We are bonded, Caveen. There is no shame in what's already ours."
Caveen laughed, crossing his arms. "True, true. Still… looks like someone had a passionate night."
Alaric smirked and shot back, "Coming from the man who impregnated a reckless witch after a bar spell. Shall we compare mistakes?"
Caveen rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Touché." Then his expression sobered. "But actually, I came to talk."
Alaric nodded and gestured to the seat across from him.
Caveen sat down, tone turning serious. "I'll be returning to the Landon manor with Lysandra today. As much as I want to stay and help… I can't."
Alaric leaned back slightly. "Because of the child?"
"Yes," Caveen said, nodding. "The child inside her… she's bonded to me. If I'm not around, Lysandra falls terribly ill. Pain spreads through her body. It's like the child is anchoring her life on me."
Alaric's brows furrowed with concern but said nothing, listening.
"I need to be with her until the birth. It's the least I can do. I didn't plan any of this, but it's mine now, and I'll protect them both with my life." His voice was filled with quiet resolve.
Alaric's expression softened with approval.
"I understand," he said. "And I admire it."
Caveen gave a small nod, then added, "Just keep me updated. Any plans. Any movements. Even whispers from the Council. I may be away, but I'm still with you, Alaric."
"Always," Alaric promised. "We fight for the same future."
Caveen hesitated, then said, "One more thing… my parents."
Alaric tilted his head.
"They still don't know Elira's alive. I haven't told them Seraphine is her."
Alaric's jaw tensed slightly. "You plan to?"
"In time," Caveen said. "When it's safe—for all of us. For now, it's best they don't know. My mother and father… once they learn she's alive, they will move mountains for her. And when that time comes, you'll have the full force of the Landons behind you. That, I swear."
Alaric stood and clasped his hand. "Then we wait. We plan. And when the moment comes, we strike together."
"And we end the Council's reign forever," Caveen finished.
The two stood for a beat, united not just by power and blood, but by a vision of freedom their ancestors never had.