Page 40 of Blood Bond

"I think I should return to my room," I suggest tentatively. Before this turns into something more. I don’t like what I feel coming off her. It’s dark and hungry.

Theo's hand presses down on my shoulder, his grip protective. "I don't think it’s wise to move," he whispers.

Naneve stops eating and her hand drifts to her blade, ready for whatever may come. The room is thick with tension, a mix of desire and desperation.

"Please, don't," I whisper to Layla, my breath uneven. She's like a coiled spring, and I feel like prey in her presence.

Layla leans forward, her voice trembling, "I can smell your blood. I-I can ..."

Naneve's blade is half-drawn, ready for action. The atmosphere is electric with potential violence.

The door swings open, and Seth enters with a commanding presence. His gaze sweeps over each of us—Layla, Theo, Naneve, and me—assessing the situation and the tension that grips the room. There's an almost tangible aura of power that seems to radiate from him as he moves.

"Layla, my love," he says, his voice deep and resonant.

But she doesn't seem to be listening. The snarl emanating from her grows louder, a rumbling sound from her chest. I slowly rise from my seat, and this time, Theo lets me. His hand, though, remains protectively on my shoulder. Naneve stands as well, her blade raised.

Layla hisses and, in a flash, lunges, her chair tumbling backwards as she lurches forward across the table in an attempt to reach me.

Theo grabs me and twists so that his body shields me. Layla’s claws dig into Theo's back and she lets out an unholy shriek.

Theo's face contorts in pain, and Naneve leaps forward, her sword flashing.

Layla dodges it easily.

"Layla." Seths’ stern voice commands attention, redirecting the prevailing power in the room.

Layla’s head whips around and her gaze fixes on her master’s intense stare. "It's time for you to calm down." His command is firm, brooking no disobedience.

My heart is pounding in my chest as I take in the scene before me. Layla is panting heavily, her rage seemingly quelled by Seth's presence. However, I can still sense the danger simmering beneath the surface, a pressure building like a storm ready to erupt at any moment.

Theo groans behind me, but my attention stays focused on Seth and Layla, who are now engaged in an intense, silent standoff, their eyes locked like two adversaries on the brink of battle.

"Enough,” says Seth.

ChapterThirty-One

Layla slumps at Seth's feet, her previously menacing demeanour vanishing. She collapses weakly to the floor. Bloody tears trickle from her eyes, and she uses the back of her hand to wipe them away, smearing her face in red across her pale skin. Her voice, almost inaudible but laden with sobs, pleads with him. Her face twists into a tortured expression when she finally speaks again.

"I'm sorry …. I'm so sorry …."

Abruptly, she switches to a different language, to which Seth responds in kind. He takes a breath, and his words come out slowly, as if he has vocalised them a thousand times before. "Go and sit on the chair. Do not move unless I order it."

"Yes, sir." She scrambles to the chair on her hands and knees without looking at me. When she is seated, she turns away from me, avoiding my stare.

My attention is soon diverted by a sound behind me. I spin around, dropping to my knees in front of a wounded Theo.

"Oh, God," he groans. The sweat on his forehead gathers into tiny beads, and blood stains the floor around him like a red halo. "My pills," he rasps, extending a shaky finger to point behind me. "Get my pills …. The red ones."

I quickly turn to locate the cabinet he's pointing at and then proceed to open its door.

"What the hell just happened?" Naneve demands. "What the hell was that? Is she a problem?"

Seth redirects his gaze to meet Naneve's, and the intensity of his look could compel even me to back down. He glares at her.

She lowers her tone and rephrases her question. "What was that? What did she just do?"

"She is okay," Seth grounds out, then moves across the room to Theo and kneels beside him. "Can you sit up?"

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