Chapter 18 Knox
Knox
Danni was supposed to wait for me. God, how this woman makes me rage. What kind of thoughtless human has the universe tied me to?
She spins around, removing the hand covering her face. Her emerald eyes sparkle in the candlelight of the hallway sconces—not with surprise, but with fear. I didn’t need the ability to smell the change in her blood to understand that.
I didn’t have her down as being a prude, but then again, the delights my coven indulge in are a little more eccentric than a typical human’s preferred tastes.
Humans by nature crave monogamy. It’s society’s standard after all, but deep down, something inside of them hungers for more. To explore without guilt or repercussion.
Their sinful desires are what lures them to us and why they all choose to stay in the end.
The darkness we offer is irresistible to a human’s fickle heart.
But Danni has surprised me thus far. I thought perhaps she’d fail my test when I presented the ruby necklace to her.
My belief is that all women want to feel like they mean something to somebody, usually in a materialistic sense.
But Danni didn’t waiver. Her mind is so focused on escaping captivity that not even the finest jewels could tempt her.
Good.
If there’s one thing I despise, it’s a vacuous soul. And if she is indeed destined to be mine for all eternity, it’s nice to know her fiery side will keep me on my toes.
How can a monster like me be destined for a marvel like her? How can she be my equal in every way?
Even though mated bonds are so rare among our kind that very little knowledge exists about them, I do know the entire point is that it happens to two equally-matched vampires.
I’ve never heard of a vampire being mated to a human before.
We are all born into the darkness alone and we eventually make peace with the fact that we’ll enter the embers the same way.
Nobody truly wants to die alone, human or vampire.
And as we are selfish and bloodthirsty creatures by nature, I know that some of The Five would do anything in their power to destroy my happiness, even if it was just a possibility. It’s why I keep Danni a secret, why I broke my own vow to protect her.
I underestimated the bond’s power. Danni has a hold on me unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
The need to protect what is mine is an insatiable craving that surpasses the relentless thirst my kind experiences for an eternity.
Rationality wants me to keep her at arm’s length, to protect her from the predators lurking around every corner, including myself.
But no matter how hard I fight my urges, I need her by my side.
“You were supposed to stay in your room,” I snap at her, playing my role as villain a little too well.
If it stops her from wanting to stay on her own free will, I’ll do whatever is necessary. She can’t fall in love with me. No matter how much it hurts, our bond simply can’t be completed. That’s the truth of it.
I wouldn’t damn my worst enemy to a lifetime of this darkness.
Such is the fate that lies before her if she stays with me.
I try to keep my cool around her as much as possible, but her pheromones drive me to the point of insanity.
That’s just the bond talking; when I find myself getting too close and forgetting my inhibitions, it physically pains me to step away.
“I didn’t want to be late and you never said you would be escorting me here.
” Her words mash together, her cheeks flushing a delicious shade of pink.
I close my eyes, attempting to think of anything other than hoisting her up in my arms and carrying her back to my room to find out every single fucking way I can make her blush even more.
“You should stay in your room unless you’re with me or at training. I already told you, it’s not safe for you to roam the halls until you are officially my Familiar.”
I watch her face drop as I wrap another set of invisible chains around her wrist. Good.
Hate me, despise me; let me help you, let me get you out.
The bond hates how I speak to her. Each time my tone is cold, almost hateful, it carves out a piece of my heart as punishment.
The bond craves for me to worship her down on my knees, to beg her for forgiveness, to tell her all of my deepest, darkest secrets if it meant she would give me a sliver of her attention.
This war with myself is exhausting, but I will endure it for her.
She narrows her eyes and folds her arms, no doubt preparing herself to kick and scream at my requests.
“You’re being ridiculous! I’m more than capable of handling myself, or have you forgotten what I keep hidden in my bag?
Also, don’t even get me started on how I haven’t eaten a single piece of food since this morning. ”
Danni blows a stray lock of hair out of her face. Her complexion resembles a succulent fruit I once ate in a different life, long ago.
God, I’m a sucker for a sassy woman.
Then her words register in my mind. “I sent you a meal right after I left the room. Are you telling me you received nothing?”
The bond thrashes inside of me as if it is a sentient being with its own mind. Which one of these fuckers is trying to starve her?
Protect, protect, protect.
Before I can rip the entire realm apart, the heady moans from Egor and Damon’s shared potential Familiar fall quiet. The string quartet is now the only noise within the intimate room. I know better than to continue this conversation. Vampire hearing is a perk everyone receives after their rebirth.
“I’ll deal with this later. Let’s get through this dinner, first.”
Danni rolls her eyes. She clearly has no fucking idea how dangerous The Five are. It’s equally intriguing and stimulating that she’s not scared of anything, but it does nothing to reassure the bond between us.
“Oh, yes, I can’t wait to pretend I’m head over heels in love with you for hours on end.” Her words sting. More than I’d like to admit.
I lean in closer, our faces mere inches apart. “I’m a catch, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
The scent of her blood turns from a raging bonfire into a sweet honey. “You’re arrogant and irritating and spoiled and—”
“Magnificent in bed. Not to mention a powerful prince who can make all of your dreams come true.”
She snaps her jaw shut at the word prince, the realization in her eyes doing the talking for her.
Oh, yes, Danni. I’m not just any old vampire down here. I’m set to inherit our entire fucking realm.
Then I remember myself, remember who waits for us in the next room. I can only hope they are all distracted enough to have not heard us. I look over at the banquet hall doorway to make sure; tension seizes my body as Damon approaches us.
Wherever Damon goes, the cold of the cavernous realm that waits for us below follows him.
Egor is no better. Both are every bit as evil and terrible as the stories about us depict.
They’re the creatures a mother warns her children about at bedtime, why humans are taught to never step foot outside at night.
They are also the reason we all suffer down here, hidden from the world.
Between Damon and Egor’s violent appetites, they could’ve wiped out an entire continent by now if we were able to live as we used to.
I clench my fists at my side as he comes far too close to Danni for my liking. Her blood sours, just like the expression on her face. A part of me is glad she isn’t as taken with him like every other stupid human.
I allow myself a brief moment to indulge in the fury that burns beneath my skin before schooling my face into boredom. Danni notices my shift and thankfully follows suit; her blood calms, but the fear is still enough to put Damon off drinking his fill right now.
“Are you both joining us? I believe Megan is spent after enjoying more orgasms than the human body should be able to achieve.”
“That’s quite ambitious,” I reply, silently reminding myself to unclench my jaw.
Priming the humans for feeding is supposed to be forbidden if they are a potential Familiar.
But Damon and Egor always seem to find their own way around it.
Perhaps my father, as our ruler, has become too soft in his old age and gladly turns a blind eye.
The Five’s Familiars always choose to stay once their time here is complete, but they never last.
Turning a human is also forbidden in our coven. It’s not been successfully done in about a hundred years, due to our dying magic.
The Familiars Damon and Egor try to turn into vampires either end up as the rabid creatures that stalk our streets and live by their own rules, or they die.
My father either doesn’t know or simply doesn’t care enough to do anything about it, but I have been keeping myself all too well informed on their activities.
“Ambitious, yes.” Damon moves closer, eyes narrowed as if he concentrates hard enough, he can scent the bond between us. “How… interesting.”
Danni takes a step back. Her warm body presses against mine, her fear spiking again. I wrap my hand protectively around her waist, hoping that the sparks the bond provides is enough of a distraction to quell her fear.
“I’ll admit,” Damon continues, “she is an exquisite beauty. But then again, we have had better.” His eyes meet mine, curiosity dancing in his gleaming garnets.
“And yet… she was enough for you to break your vow and forgo your modern views on the Familiars.” Danni’s soft gasp seems to thrill him.
He grins, exposing both fangs. “Knox’s reaction to you in the circus instantly caught the attention of The Five.
We simply had to come up to the inbetween earlier than planned to see what kind of woman had made him fall back into the old traditions he detests so much. ”
Damon suspects something, but I can tell he isn’t quite certain.
He must have the same doubts I do, knowing It’s unheard of for a vampire to be mated to a human.
His hand tentatively edges towards Danni as if he thinks she’s the illusion instead of the magic all around us.
I track the movement, fighting back the urge to reach out and cast him into a roaring bonfire for daring to touch what is rightfully mine.
His finger hovers above her exposed collarbone when my patience finally snaps. I slap his hand away a little too hard to be considered playful.
“Uh, uh, uh. You know the rules.”
Damon’s eyes darken at my touch, but he holds up both hands in surrender as he backs away, a sickly smile painted on his face. “Let’s eat. Then you can tell us all how this came about.”
Danni flinches at the word eat.
Good. You should be afraid.
My hand glides from her waist to the small of her back as I guide her slowly towards the now—thankfully—clear dining table.
I can already tell we are the hot topic of the evening.
But I ignore the piercing gazes of curiosity from my coven as I pull out an empty chair for her.
The scent of her blood turns back to that sweet honeyed elixir as my fingers possessively graze her exposed shoulder.
I mentally kick myself for acting like a gentleman.
She needs to hate me, and yet, she feels genuine desire for me.
I’m not the only one who has noticed. The pupils of my coven dilate with the change, but thankfully Danii remains unaware.
I give them all a warning look. Being my potential Familiar gives her some measure of safety, but the ritual has not yet been completed.
To the others gathered around this table…
she is still fair game. The thought makes me want to set fire to the entire expanse of the inbetween.
My father, Cyprian, and his council sit around the table like they’re the kings of the world.
I suppose in this realm, they are. They dress in traditional coven robes, an ancient custom they’ve upheld since we first descended into the cave.
I personally prefer a well-tailored suit to the heavy, shapeless garments embroidered with rich colors.
Looking around, I see the chosen Familiars have all decided to stick with human clothes, too.
Except for the completely naked woman sitting between Damon and Egor.
As I examine each one, I notice that as usual, none of them reek of fear.
They all smell of hope, joy, lust, excitement.
It honestly makes my stomach churn. Since Celeste, I haven’t taken another Familiar.
I loved her unconditionally, but she loved the thought of immortality more.
Now she is trapped here forever, just like me. Alone with the same faces and scenery.
A magical wonder to a human, monotonous prison for a vampire.
My father clears his throat, commanding the attention of the room. “I believe introductions are in order.” He speaks with as much authority and wisdom as a person would expect a six-hundred-year-old vampire to have.
“My name is Cyprian, ruler of our realm below.” He clears his throat again.
“Tonight is a very special occasion, for my son has decided to finally—after years of persuasion—pursue our ancient tradition of binding himself to a Familiar. As his father, this is a very proud moment for me, and it gives me the utmost confidence that he will be suited to fill my role once I retire. Especially now since he has embraced his true nature.” He picks up his glass of fresh blood and raises it in a toast, his eyes locked onto mine.
His expression begs me to not fuck this up and make him look bad.
Danni shifts in her seat next to me. As I turn to her, to my surprise, I find her already looking at me.
Her eyebrows furrow with the cutest frown I’ve ever seen.
She’s curious about me. My heart stutters at the thought of her wanting to get to know me better.
I can practically hear the questions racing in her mind.
See me, love me, adore me.
“Tonight is for you and Danniella: I welcome you both to a year of bliss.”
In his praise, I hear the truth:
A year of torment.
A year of keeping the truth of her a secret.
A year of depriving myself of the happiness that so rarely happens for our kind.