Bound to the vampire I must kill-Chapter 72: Finally, he said it.

Chapter 72

The playful edge in his expression faded just slightly, replaced by a flicker of something unreadable. Not fear or anger. Something else. A warning? A memory? 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

But it passed.

"It was amazing." he said after a pause, his tone quieter now, but not any less intense.

She narrowed her eyes at him, not missing the way his jaw tensed, the flick of emotion he was trying to bury. "Is something wrong?"

"No." He replied quietly, turning away to grab his clothes, but the tension didn’t completely ease.

And neither did hers.

Something unspoken hung between them. She watched him...and she instantly noticed how different he seemed, Like he was holding something back.

"Rhydian," she said, softer now, more curious than combative. "What aren’t you telling me?"

He stopped cold at the door but didn’t turn.

"You marked me." she said.

"I know."

She stood, wrapping the sheet around her, footsteps slow as she moved behind him. "I felt it. Still feel it. That wasn’t just a bite. It wasn’t just sex. You... did something."

Silence.

Then, low and steady: "It wasn’t supposed to work."

Her stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

He turned then, eyes darker than before. "My bite—it shouldn’t have bonded to you. Not permanently. Witches aren’t supposed to be compatible with vampires."

Her brows furrowed. "But it did?"

"Yes." His voice was quiet now. Careful. "Which means something’s wrong. Or... different."

A chill crept down her spine.

"Your magic was supposed to fight me, but...it accepted me. Not just that...it sent a signal."

She stared at him, heart thudding. "You felt my magic?"

"I still do. It’s woven into the bond now." His eyes locked on hers, unblinking. "And that isn’t normal. Your power responded to mine, not in defense...but in recognition."

Her grip tightened on the sheet. "So what are you saying? That our powers... fused?"

"No," he said. "I’m saying this wasn’t supposed to happen. A vampire’s bond with a witch is volatile. Dangerous. It either burns out—or burns everything around it."

"And yet... here I am...i’m safe right?"

He studied her for a moment, jaw tight. "Yeah. Here you are. But something could happen at anytime, and that scares the hell out of me more than I want to admit." he had been sure that bite would never lead to such thing as bonding because she wasn’t a vampire.

Vampire lovers usually bonded during sex once the male bit his woman at the point of climax. But with anything else other than a vampire, nothing like bonding ever happened.

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

But it did—with her.

And now she was marked, connected to him in a way that defied every natural law of their kind. He wouldn’t have worried if the danger was aimed at him, but it wasn’t. She was the one who might suffer for it.

Seraphina took another step closer, close enough to feel the subtle shift in the air around him—the way his power pulsed and receded like waves. Her voice was softer now, but more grounded. Certain.

"You’re afraid for me?"

He didn’t respond, not with words. Just a tense jaw and a breath dragged slowly through his nose, like he didn’t trust himself to speak.

"You’ve always been this way," she continued. "Guarded. Distant. And now that something’s actually between us, something real...you’re pulling away again."

"Because I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me!" he snapped, spinning to face her. His eyes flashed, fangs bared for a second before he caught himself and shoved the storm back down. "Because I don’t know what the hell this bond will do to you. And I can’t—"

He stopped himself, breathing hard.

She didn’t flinch nor did she look away.

"You can’t what?" she asked quietly.

He ran a hand through his hair, eyes shutting for a moment. "I can’t lose you."

Those words echoed in the space between them like a dropped weapon in a silent war.

"You’ve said that before," she murmured, "but you’ve never said why."

His gaze dropped. His silence stretched.

And Seraphina stepped even closer, now standing directly in front of him. She reached up, her fingers brushing his jaw, forcing his head up until he had no choice but to meet her eyes.

"I deserve to know how you feel," she whispered. "After everything we’ve been through, after everything you’ve done to protect me, you owe me that much. Tell me, Rhydian. Say it."

His throat worked as if the words fought him. He looked at her...really looked. Like he was memorizing her face, like it might be the last time he’d get to see it.

"I don’t know how to say it," he said finally, voice ragged. "Not without it feeling like I’m signing your death sentence."

"You already bit me," she said, smile trembling at the edges. "Damage is done. Just give me the truth."

He laughed bitterly at that, but it cracked under the weight of emotion. His hands lifted, cradling her face, and for the first time, she saw it...all of it. The fear, the longing, the raw, unfiltered devotion he’d tried so hard to hide.

"You drive me insane," he murmured. "You’re reckless. Stubborn. Mouthy as hell. And sometimes I think you were put on this earth just to test my patience."

She blinked, lips parting to protest, but he leaned in, eyes dark and desperate.

"But you’re also the only person I’ve ever wanted like this. The only one who sees me...not the vampire, not the monster, just me. And I’d burn the world down before I let it take you from me."

She didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

"Seraphina," he said, voice almost breaking, "I love you."

The world stopped.

Her heart stuttered, fluttered and slammed hard against her ribs.

He had said it. Finally. Not in a moment of life-or-death panic. Not in a fit of rage. But here...bare, vulnerable, choosing her even though it scared the hell out of him.

She swallowed, and when she spoke, her voice was thick. "You idiot. Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear that?"

He didn’t get a chance to answer before she kissed him, fierce and certain, all fire and trembling hands. His arms wrapped around her instantly, pulling her close like he might lose her if he let go.

When they parted, foreheads pressed together, she smiled.

"I love you too. I wasn’t sure before, or maybe I was afraid to admit it...but, I love you, bloodsucker."

He chuckled against her skin. "You’re still in danger, you know."

"Maybe," she whispered, brushing her lips over his again. "But now I know it’s worth the risk."