A heart of the vampire

Chapter 2

Lucian's eyes, still clouded with the weight of centuries, locked onto Serena's face with misunderstanding. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, they softened, filled with a deep, aching love. But just as quickly, his expression hardened, his gaze turning sharp and cold.

"Amara," he whispered, but his voice was tinged with confusion as he took a step closer, studying Serena's features. His hands trembled slightly as if torn between reaching out for the woman he loved and recoiling from the stranger before him. "Why do you use her voice?"

Serena, feeling the intensity of his stare, tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. Amara's presence swirled within her, her emotions a storm of longing and hope. She could feel Amara's love for Lucian, a connection that surged through Serena's veins like wildfire.

*"Lucian..."* Amara's voice echoed in Serena's mind, filled with the same tenderness she had felt moments ago. *"I'm here. It's me."*

But Lucian's eyes only grew darker as his jaw clenched. "No," he growled. "This isn't right. You—" He pointed at Serena, his voice sharp with accusation. "You're not her."

Serena recoiled, her heart sinking. She had expected him to be confused, yes, but the hatred in his gaze struck like a blow. "I'm... I'm trying to help," she stammered, feeling the weight of Amara's spirit trying to soothe him. But Lucian's anger only seemed to intensify.

"You wear Amara's voice like a mask," he spat. "But you are not her. You're an intruder, a parasite."

Serena's chest tightened with the force of his words, and for the first time, she felt the depth of the conflict between them. She was no longer just Serena; she was the vessel for Amara's soul. But to Lucian, this merging of souls was a curse, not a blessing. The woman he loved was trapped inside the body of someone else—someone he had not chosen, someone he resented.

Amara's presence stirred within Serena, her spirit growing stronger, pushing back against Lucian's rejection. *"She is part of me now, Lucian,"* Amara's voice resonated through Serena's lips, a soft plea. *"I had no choice, I though that I just release her. We're connected, whether you want to accept it or not."*

Lucian's face twisted in fury, his hands balling into fists. "No!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the crypt. "This isn't what was meant to happen. You—" His eyes flickered to Serena again, filled with loathing. "You don't belong in this. You're a stranger with her voice."

Serena's heart pounded in her chest, torn between the immense love Amara felt for him and the sharp sting of his hatred for her. It was as if two worlds were colliding within her, a love so powerful that it was suffocating, and a rejection so fierce that it left her breathless.

"I didn't ask for this," Serena said, her voice small, yet steady. "I didn't choose to be caught between you. But I feel her, Lucian. I feel her love for you, her pain, her need to be whole again. And she needs you."

Lucian's eyes softened for a fleeting moment, the love for Amara flickering in his expression. But it quickly vanished, replaced by anger and confusion. "You are not her," he repeated, his voice thick with denial.

Serena took a step back, unsure of what to do. She could feel Amara's spirit straining to reach Lucian, her emotions pouring through Serena's heart, but Lucian wouldn't see her. Not like this.

*"Lucian,"* Amara's voice was a desperate whisper now, almost fragile, *"I'm here with you. Please, don't turn away from us. We can still be together."*

But Lucian couldn't reconcile the two—Amara's love trapped in the body of someone he neither knew nor wanted. His torment was palpable, his rage directed at Serena but rooted in the cruel twist of fate that had taken Amara from him, only to return her in a way he couldn't accept.