Bound to the vampire I must kill-Chapter 30: Under attack

Chapter 30

It was only when he mentioned it that Seraphina realized—her lips were bleeding.

"I’m..." Her voice trailed off as Rhydian reached for her, his fingers brushing against her chin before his thumb wiped away the faint smear of blood on her lips.

The touch was fleeting. Barely a second.

But it sent a shockwave through her system.

Her breath caught. Heat flared in her chest, racing up her neck until her cheeks burned. It was just a simple touch—one she should have ignored, shoved away.

And yet...

She couldn’t think.

Couldn’t move.

Her lips tingled, every nerve in her body suddenly hyper-aware of the man sitting entirely too close.

Rhydian didn’t seem fazed. He leaned back casually, his expression unreadable—until, without hesitation, he lifted his hand to his mouth and licked the blood off his thumb.

Seraphina froze.

Her stomach flipped.

She felt it—the way her entire body reacted before she could stop it. Heat surged in places it shouldn’t, a slow burn creeping up her spine.

What. The. Hell.

"B-Bloodsucker," she snapped, her voice not as steady as she wanted it to be. She quickly turned away, pretending to be utterly fascinated by the passing scenery outside the carriage window.

It suddenly felt too hot inside.

"That’s the best insult you’ve got?" Rhydian asked in a teasing and soft tone.

Seraphina clenched her jaw. "I wasn’t trying to be creative."

"Hm." He shifted in his seat. "A shame. I do enjoy hearing that sharp tongue of yours."

She refused to look at him. Not after what he just did.

Not when her stomach was still fluttering, and her traitorous skin still tingled where he’d touched her.

Rhydian chuckled, deep and far too satisfied. "You’re blushing."

"I am not," she shot back immediately.

"You are," he countered. She didn’t even have to turn to know he was smirking.

"I will stab you."

"With what?" His voice dipped lower. "Your dagger? Or that look in your eyes?"

She inhaled sharply.

Damn him.

Damn him and his voice.

Seraphina clenched her fists in her lap, forcing herself to calm the hell down. But Rhydian? Oh, he wasn’t done.

"You know," he murmured, dragging out the words like he enjoyed watching her squirm. "If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like when I touch you."

She hastenly turned around to glare at him, but soon realized she had just made a big mistake.

Because he was close.

Too close.

The space between them had disappeared, and she hadn’t even noticed.

Her breath hitched as her back instinctively pressed against the seat, but there was nowhere to go. He wasn’t touching her, but he might as well have been.

She could feel his presence, the warmth radiating from him, the way his sharp crimson eyes pinned her in place.

And the way he was looking at her...

That slow, unreadable heat behind his gaze—like he was waiting.

Waiting for her to react.

Waiting for her to either push him away or—

No.

She wasn’t playing this game.

Lifting her chin, she forced her expression into boredom. "You talk too much."

Rhydian’s lips twitched. "You love it."

She huffed. "I tolerate it."

"Mmm." He let his gaze flick down to her lips for just a second before meeting her eyes again. "Barely."

Her pulse skyrocketed.

She wanted to strangle him.

Or kiss him.

Or both.

No. Not kiss him. Absolutely not.

She turned away, exhaling sharply. "If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I will throw you out of this carriage."

His chuckle was infuriating. "Liar."

She gritted her teeth. "I hate you."

"I know." he murmured, voice laced with amusement—and something else.

Something that sent another rush of heat spiraling through her.

Damn him.

Damn him to hell.

Rhydian lived for this.

For her.

For the way Seraphina reacted to him, even when she was desperately trying not to.

She was sharp-tongued, stubborn as hell, and had the most infuriating ability to ignore him when it suited her. But when he got under her skin? When he pushed just right?

She burned.

And goodness, he loved watching her burn.

The way her lips parted when she was caught off guard. The way her cheeks flushed no matter how much she hated it. The way her breath hitched, betraying her when she should’ve shoved him away.

Seraphina acted like she was immune to him, but Rhydian knew better.

She could lie all she wanted, but her body? Her eyes? They told him the truth.

She felt everything.

And it thrilled him.

Because he felt everything too.

From the moment he met her, he had been irritatingly drawn to her—an attraction that had only gotten worse with every exchange. He wasn’t sure what it was at first. Maybe it was her defiance, the way she never backed down from a fight, the way she refused to yield even when he knew he unraveled her.

Or maybe it was the simple, dangerous fact that he liked seeing her like this.

Breathless.

Frustrated.

A little out of control.

Because Seraphina was always in control. Of herself, of her emotions, of everything around her.

But with him?

With him, she faltered. Just for a second. Just enough to make him wonder if she realized how much she gave away.

And so, he pushed.

He teased.

Because teasing meant she looked at him. Arguing meant she talked to him. Banter meant she was engaged, even if it was just to call him an insufferable bastard.

His thoughts were instantly cut off as soon as he sensed something unusual.

The change was instant. His smirk vanished, his body going rigid as his sharp gaze flicked past her. His entire demeanor shifted—no longer amused, but alert.

Seraphina caught it immediately.

"Rhydian?" she asked, frowning.

He didn’t answer. He needed to pay attention, to confirm...he could sense something was wrong.

Suddenly, the horses let out sharp, panicked snorts. The carriage wobbled slightly, the sudden unease in the air pressing down on them.

Then—as if he saw it coming, Rhydian reacted instantly.

He lunged, grabbing Seraphina and yanking her against him just as an arrow tore through the side of the carriage, ripping through the space where her head had been a second ago.

A second arrow followed—then a third. Wood splintered. The impact rocked the carriage, sending it swaying violently as the horses neighed in panic.

Seraphina gasped, but before she could fully process what was happening, the carriage lurched. One of the horses lost focus, its sudden movements making the entire vehicle tip dangerously to the side.

She would’ve been thrown off balance—would’ve slammed hard against the wooden wall—if Rhydian hadn’t held her.

His arm wrapped around her, firm and steady, shielding her from the violent motion. The scent of his blood and leather filled her nose, his presence overwhelming.

Her heart pounded in panic. He was injured.

Why... why was he protecting her?

Seraphina barely had time to process it before the carriage jerked again. More arrows. More impact.

Then, outside the carriage, heavy footsteps of what sounded like several dozen people could be heard.

The attackers were closing in.

Rhydian’s grip tightened as he pulled her even closer, and with pure strength alone, he bursted them out of the carriage in an instant, his arm still wrapped protectively around her.