A heart of the vampire

Chapter 8

Driven by a tension that coiled tighter with every step, Serena made her way back to the mansion. The cold air bit at her cheeks, leaving them flushed, but it did nothing to dull the excitement simmering beneath her skin. Her breath came in quick, sharp puffs as she hurried across the dead garden, her heart racing—not just from the chill, but from something deeper.

Perhaps she had lost her only chance to escape. She wasn't sure why she hadn't stayed outside, hadn't taken advantage of the brief freedom Lucian had given her. She could have run, could have pushed further into the unknown woods that surrounded the estate, could have at least tried to find some semblance of the life she once knew. But something stronger than reason had tugged her back.

Amara's spirit had been silent in her for some time now, the ghost's once-constant presence fading to the background like a distant memory. It should have been a relief, not having that voice in her head, whispering of lost love and ancient sorrow. Yet Serena wasn't sure if it was absence she felt, or the strange pull of something else—something that had nothing to do with Amara.

It was Lucian.

There was no other way to explain it. Despite his cruelty, despite the fear that knotted in her stomach every time she was in his presence, something about him drew her in. The cold, detached way he moved through the world should have repelled her. He was a monster, she reminded herself. An ancient being who had lived centuries before her, who had killed, who had tormented. Yet she couldn't deny the magnetic pull he had over her, the way his eyes seemed to burn into her soul whenever he looked at her.

As she neared the mansion, her heart beat faster. She paused just outside the door, her breath fogging the air as she stood there, hesitating. Why had she come back? Was she that drawn to the darkness within these walls? Or was it something deeper, something even more unsettling?

The door creaked as she pushed it open, the warmth of the mansion wrapping around her as she stepped inside. The quiet stillness greeted her, but her body hummed with anticipation. Her fingers brushed against her neck, where the mark of Lucian's bite still tingled, and she winced slightly at the lingering pain.

Why did she keep coming back? What was it about him that kept her tethered, even now, when she could have fled?

Her thoughts spun as she closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment to steady herself. The tension that had driven her to leave the garden still surged through her veins, and her mind raced with thoughts she didn't fully understand. She wasn't just afraid of him; that much was clear. There was something else in the fear, a spark of something dangerous—something she wasn't sure she could fight.

She took a deep breath, pushing off the door and wandering deeper into the mansion's hallways. Every step echoed in the vast space, the silence pressing in on her. But even though she was alone, she felt his presence, felt the weight of his gaze in the shadows.

What was this? This pull toward him—was it part of the bond he'd spoken of? Or was it something she had yet to fully grasp? All she knew was that it was powerful, and it made her tremble as much as it thrilled her.

Lucian had said he wanted to give her freedom, but was that really possible? Could she ever be free while bound to him, when even her thoughts seemed to drift back to him, no matter how far she strayed?

She ran a hand through her hair, her fingers trembling slightly. Maybe she had come back because she knew, deep down, that running wouldn't have changed anything. He was already inside her head, already inside her heart in a way she didn't want to admit.

Serena shivered, despite the warmth of the mansion. Something else had drawn her back—something she wasn't ready to name. But as she continued walking through the halls, her skin still buzzing with the cold wind's touch and the lingering tension in her veins, she knew one thing for certain.