The forest was too quiet
Seraphina felt it before she understood it.
The kind of silence that pressed against your ears, that made your skin prickle like something unseen was watching…
waiting
She tightened her grip on the basket in her hand, quickening her pace along the narrow dirt path
"Relax," she muttered under her breath. "You've walked this path a hundred times."
But tonight felt different.
Wrong
The wind didn't move. The trees stood too still. Even the insects had gone quiet.
And then
A snap.
Behind her.
Seraphina froze
Slowly, carefully, she turned.
Nothing.
Just darkness stretching between the trees, shadows layered over shadows.
Her heart pounded harder
"Hello?" she called, her voice thinner than she intended
No answer.
Of course not
You're scaring yourself
She turned back and started walking faster now, almost rushing. The village lights weren't far. Just a few more minutes and she heard Another sound Closer
Not a branch this time, A footstep, Seraphina's breath hitched, She didn't turn again she ran
The basket fell from her hands, apples spilling across the ground as she sprinted down the path, her boots slipping slightly against loose dirt
Her pulse roared in her ears.
Something was behind her.
She could hear it now moving fast. Too fast.
Not human
A low growl cut through the night.
Seraphina's stomach dropped.
No.
No, no, no
She pushed herself harder, lungs burning, legs trembling, but the sound only got closer.
Closer, Closer
A force slammed into her from behind.
She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of her lungs in a sharp gasp.
Pain shot through her arms as she tried to push herself up but something held her down, Heavy, Unmoving.
Breathing.
Hot breath brushed against the back of her neck, Seraphina froze.
"Don't move," a deep voice murmured, low and dangerous, Her entire body went still
That wasn't…
That wasn't an animal.
Her mind struggled to catch up, fear clawing at her chest
"What what do you want?" she whispered.
The weight shifted slightly, and she felt fingers human fingers wrap around her wrist.
But the strength behind them was anything but human
"You," the voice said simply.
Her blood ran cold.
Before she could react, she was yanked to her feet and spun around.
And that's when she saw him
Her breath caught, He was
Not possible
Tall, Broad-shouldered, Dressed in dark clothing that seemed to blend into the night itself. His presence felt…
wrong, Like he didn't belong in the world she knew.
But it was his eyes that trapped her.
Silver Glowing faintly in the darkness
Not human
Seraphina stumbled back, but his grip tightened, keeping her in place.
"W-what are you?" she stammered.
His gaze flickered over her face, sharp and assessing
Then, something shifted in his expression.
Not softness, Not kindness, Recognition
"No…" he murmured, almost to himself.
Her heart skipped
"What? He stepped closer
Too close, Seraphina tried to pull away, but it was useless. His presence swallowed the space between them, suffocating.
"It can't be," he said, his voice quieter now but more dangerous.
"What can't be? Let me go!"
She struggled again, but his other hand came up, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him
The moment their eyes locked
Something snapped.
It wasn't physical.
It wasn't visible.
But Seraphina felt it.
A sharp, searing sensation tore through her chest, stealing the air from her lungs.
She gasped, clutching at herself as heat spread through her veins like fire
"what is happening to me?" she choked.
His grip loosened slightly.
For the first time, something like shock crossed his face
"No," he said again, more firmly this time.
The pain intensified
It wasn't just pain, It was something else.
Something deeper
A pull
A strange, magnetic force that dragged her awareness toward him toward the man standing in front of her
Her heartbeat began to sync with his.
Slow, Heavy, Powerful.
And then A whisper, Not from him.
Not from the forest, From inside her
You are bound.
Seraphina's eyes widened.
"No…" she breathed
But the voice continued, curling through her mind like smoke.
Soul to soul. Blood to blood.
She staggered, barely able to stay on her feet
"What did you do to me?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
His expression hardened again, the moment of surprise gone, Replaced by something colder, Darker
"I didn't do anything," he said.
"Liar!"
She shoved against him but the moment her hands touched his chest
The feeling exploded
A surge of heat, of awareness, of something dangerously close to desire shot through her body, stealing her breath.
Seraphina jerked back like she'd been burned
"No…" she whispered, horrified.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't real.
This wasn't
"What is this?" she demanded, He didn't answer immediately, Instead, he studied her like she was something rare, Something unexpected, Something… important
Then he spoke,"Fate," he said coldly, Her stomach twisted, "I don't believe in fate."
A faint, humorless smile touched his lips.
"You will."
Before she could respond, he pulled her sharply toward him
"Wait"
The world shifted, The forest blurred
The air itself seemed to tear apart around them
Seraphina screamed but the sound was swallowed by darkness, And then Silence
When the world settled again, she was no longer in the forest, Stone walls rose around her,Cold, Massive Unfamiliar.
A castle
Her breathing turned frantic as she spun around.
"No… no, where am I?!"
Her voice echoed
The man stepped forward, completely at ease in this place, Like he owned it
Like it belonged to him, Fear clawed up her throat, "Take me back," she said, her voice trembling.
He didn't move, "Take me back!" she shouted.
Still nothing
Something inside her snapped.
"I said take me back!" The moment the words left her mouth
Pain struck again,Sharper this time
Deeper,It dropped her to her knees
Seraphina gasped, clutching her chest as that same voice whispered again,You cannot command him, Tears burned her eyes.
"What is this?" she cried, Finally he spoke
"This," he said, his voice calm and absolute, "is a curse."
Her head snapped up
"What?"
He stepped closer, towering over her.
"You are bound to me now."
Her heart stopped
"No."
"You will feel what I feel. You will be drawn to me whether you want it or not."
Her breathing turned uneven.
"That's not possible" His silver eyes darkened.
"It already is."
She shook her head, backing away
"No. No, I don't accept this. I don't"
"You don't have a choice."The words hit harder than anything else,Her chest tightened,Fear, Anger, And something else.
Something she didn't want to name.
He crouched in front of her, his gaze locking onto hers
"Tell me your name," he said.
She hesitated.
Then
"Seraphina."He studied her for a long moment.
Then nodded once, "Seraphina," he repeated Her name sounded different on his lips.
Dangerous,Final
"And who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper,
A pause.
Then
"I am Kael Draven."
The name sent a strange chill down her spine
"And from this moment forward," he continued, his voice turning colder, "you belong to me."
Her heart slammed against her ribs, Rage surged through her, "I belong to no one!"
The moment she said it, The bond reacted
Pain flared again, stealing her breath, Kael watched her carefully
Not with cruelty.
With certainty
"You will learn," he said quietly.
Seraphina glared up at him, tears in her
eyes, fury burning through her fear
"I will never love you." For the first time
Something flickered in his expression.
Something dark.
Something broken
Then it vanished.
"Good," he said
But his voice betrayed something else
"Because the curse doesn't care what you want"