Bound to the vampire I must kill-Chapter 53: Falling hard

Chapter 53

Seraphina lay on the bed, cradled against the solid wall of Rhydian’s chest, both of them still breathless, their bodies slick with sweat and flushed from the aftermath of what they’d just finished. Her cheek pressed against his skin, where his heart still thundered beneath the surface like a drum calling out a name—and she was certain it was hers.

Rhydian didn’t let go.

His arms were wrapped tightly around her, one hand splayed against her bare back, the other stroking her hair with slow, languid movements. There was something reverent in the way he held her now—like she wasn’t just a lover he had craved, but something fragile. Something precious.

His voice broke the silence, low and rasped against the crown of her head. "Are you okay?"

He had to ask.

He’d lost count of how many times he’d taken her tonight—how many times he’d lost himself in her. It was like every moment he’d held back, every buried urge, had finally erupted all at once, pouring out of him without restraint.

Now, with her tucked against him, fragile in the aftermath, he needed to know—had he gone too far? Had she felt overwhelmed?

She nodded wordlessly, her fingers brushing across the ridges of his stomach, trailing up toward his chest. "Yeah," she whispered. "More than okay."

He let out a breath—half a chuckle, half relief—and pulled her impossibly closer. "Good. Because I’m honestly trying not to drag you into that bath pool and take you all over again."

Seraphina let out a soft laugh, her cheeks flushed. "You’re insatiable."

He smirked against her hair. "Only with you."

A beat of silence passed between them, not heavy or awkward, just thick with something unspoken. Intimate. Real.

Then Rhydian’s voice shifted, deeper now, more thoughtful. "You hated my guts when we met, didn’t you?"

Seraphina stiffened just slightly. She pulled back enough to look up at him, her cheek still resting on his chest, their legs tangled beneath the sheets. Her lips curved. "I did," she confessed with a breathy chuckle. "So damn much."

His brows lifted. "Ouch. No hesitation."

"You were smug. Cocky. That stupid smirk you wore like a crown..." she laughed again, softer this time, her voice almost fond. "I wanted to slap it off your face."

"Mm," he hummed, pretending to consider. Deep down, his heart raced with excitement, this was the first time he heard her laugh, and it made his heart flutter uncontrollably. "That explains why you planned to kill me on our wedding night."

She looked at him wide eyed. "you knew?."

"I can read you like a book Sera, I don’t know how but I just can." Rhydian admitted, then slowly kissed her on her temple.

The light mood faded slowly, and her smile waned. Her fingers moved gently across his chest, drawing invisible shapes—stalling. Her voice lowered, serious now, quieter. "It wasn’t just because you were... you."

Rhydian stayed silent, giving her the space she needed. His hand continued to stroke her back, gentle, encouraging.

Seraphina’s throat tightened. "I hated vampires... because they took everything from me."

He felt the shift in her voice—felt the tremble buried deep in it—and he held her tighter.

"I was only six," she continued, voice barely above a whisper. "My parents... they were powerful witches. Royalty. Everyone said they were unstoppable together. And then... one night, that monster came."

Her breath hitched, and her eyes burned.

"I don’t know who he was, or what problem he had with my family. I just remember his eyes—cold, glowing red like fire and blood. He wasn’t like the others. He was extremely strong. My parents fought him... with everything they had. But he—" Her voice cracked, and she pressed her face tighter to Rhydian’s chest, as if she could hide from the memory. "He tore them apart. Like they were nothing, and drank their blood till nothing was left."

Rhydian swallowed hard, his jaw clenching. "Seraphina..."

"I watched it happen," she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I was hiding behind the bushes. I almost screamed, but Freya—my sister—she covered my mouth. Held me so tight I couldn’t move. I think she knew I was about to cry out. That sound... that one sound... would’ve gotten us killed."

Rhydian’s arms were iron bands around her now. Protective. Fierce. She could feel his heart pounding, his breath no longer calm. He wasn’t just listening—he was feeling it with her. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"She saved me," Seraphina murmured. "But that night... it broke something in me. I grew up fearing vampires. Hating them. Thinking they were all monsters. And I swore I’d never trust one, and that I’d kill every last one of them. That was how I became an assassin."

Rhydian’s heart skipped a bit, assassin? So she was an assassin. No wonder she had those dead emotionless eyes the first time he saw her, even when she tried to fake a smile, he could sense the aura of a killer from her, afterall, he was one.

Then her voice cracked again, softer this time, but raw. "And now here I am... in your arms. After everything. I don’t even know when it happened... when the hate turned into... this."

Rhydian’s hand came up to her cheek, gently brushing away a tear with his thumb. His eyes burned—not with desire this time, but with something deeper. Something pained and tender and full of a thousand unspoken words.

"I’m sorry," he said hoarsely. "For what you went through. For what my kind took from you." deep down, Rhydian was burning with unspoken rage, he had to find out which vampire was responsible for her parents death. He was going to find them at all cost.

She shook her head slowly. "You’re not like them."

"But I’m still one of them," he whispered. "And I’ve done things I’m not proud of, Seraphina. I’ve spilled blood. I’ve hurt people. Maybe I’ve never torn a family apart the way he did—but I’ve taken lives."

Her hand curled over his heart. "You’re not that man."

He looked down at her, their eyes locked, raw emotion flickering between them like a storm ready to break. "But I knew. From the moment I saw you. You looked at me like I was your worst nightmare."

She smiled faintly, tears still shining in her eyes. "And yet, I couldn’t stop watching you."

He exhaled a broken laugh. "And I couldn’t stay away."

Their foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling.

"I don’t know what this is between us," she whispered. "But it’s terrifying. And somehow... exactly what I need."

Rhydian leaned in and kissed her again—not with heat this time, but with something soul-deep. Something soft and sacred.

"I’m not going anywhere," he said against her lips. "Not unless you tell me to."

"I won’t," she breathed. "Not now."

They held each other, not as witch and vampire, not as enemies—but as two broken souls slowly stitching each other back together.

For the first time in a long time... Seraphina felt safe.

And Rhydian? He realized the one thing he hadn’t wanted to admit until now:

He was falling for her. Hard.

And maybe, just maybe, she was too.