The moonlight filtered through the shattered stained-glass windows of the old cathedral, painting Elias in fractured colors—blue, red, gold—as he knelt before the altar. The shadows of his past clawed at his back, each whispering names of betrayal and vengeance. And yet, his vow tonight was not to them. It was to Kael.
The silver dagger in his palm trembled slightly as he dragged its edge across his chest, the ancient vow etched in blood and spoken in the tongue of the first vampire kings. "By blood, bond, and burn, I swear protection to Kael—even if it is against the ones who made me."
A shiver crawled over his spine, not from the cold stone beneath him but from the memory of Kael's touch, his heat. Their night had been scorched into his soul, now amplified by the life growing inside Kael—their child.
Back in the witch's sanctuary, Kael stirred restlessly in the silken sheets. The witches had cast a protective circle around him, and yet, he felt Elias's name pulse in his chest like a heartbeat. His skin still tingled from their union, the sigil on his thigh glowing faintly under the moon's gaze. He wasn't just pregnant—he was bound. And the child… the energy within him wasn't just fae, or vampire—it was something older. Forbidden.
Kael's fingers drifted down his stomach, which was just starting to firm beneath the surface. A jolt of electric pleasure tickled his skin—he gasped softly, the sensation blooming into warmth between his legs. He tried to ignore the growing ache, but every thought of Elias made his thighs clench.
He turned on his side, biting his lip. Dreams from another life returned: Elias pressing him against a temple wall, his fangs nicking Kael's throat as they writhed in desperate pleasure under ancient stars. The memory ignited his body anew.
"I miss you," Kael whispered, hips shifting with need. "But you left…"
In the shadows beyond the sanctuary, Elias arrived at the edge of the witches' circle. His power cracked like fire in the air, disrupting the enchantments as he stepped forward. The witches hissed warnings—but Kael's eyes opened wide the moment Elias appeared.
"You can't be here," Kael gasped, standing shakily. "They'll kill you—your family will kill you if they find out."
"I made my choice." Elias's voice was hoarse with need and longing. "I'd burn them all for you."
Kael's resistance melted. Elias stormed into the room, pulling Kael into his arms, lips crashing over his in a hungry, soul-deep kiss. Their bodies collided, Kael's robes falling away like petals.
"Don't stop," Kael moaned, as Elias's fangs grazed his throat.
"I can't," Elias whispered. "You taste like fire and moonlight."
They fell together onto the bed, Elias's hands roaming possessively. Kael arched beneath him, legs wrapped around his waist, skin flushed and electric. Their bodies met with frantic thrusts and groans, the room heavy with steam and lust.
Kael cried out as Elias took him deeper, the sigil on his thigh flaring with light, binding them more tightly than ever. With every thrust, every kiss, their souls locked together like puzzle pieces.
"You're mine, Kael," Elias growled against his throat.
"Then protect us," Kael gasped. "Even if it means turning on your world."
Elias stilled, his crimson eyes burning. "I already have."
Outside, the first of the vampire enforcers approached the sanctuary. They'd felt the pulse of the pact mark.
War was coming.
But for this moment, in tangled limbs and burning pleasure, Kael and Elias chose each other.