Page 45 of Blood Bound

“Rowan, dear,” she says, her voice gentle but urgent, “I think it’s time we got you some help with these new powers of yours.”

I nod numbly, unable to speak. I can’t go on like this. I’m out of control, and the scariest thing is…part of me likes it. The power rushing through me feels intoxicating despite the destruction it’s causing. And I know, deep down, that it’s all tied to Darick.

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Chapter 14

Rowan

Itoss and turn, the sheets tangling around my legs as I drift in and out of fitful sleep. Gran’s words echo in my mind, mixing with flashes of memory and fear.

“Blood match,” her voice whispers, and suddenly I’m back at the Nocturne Lounge. Darick’s face swims into view, his fangs sinking into the neck of that beautiful witch, and nausea consumes me.

The scene shifts. I’m running through a dark forest, branches clawing at my skin. “Mia!” I call out, my voice hoarse. A text message floats in the air before me: “Mia sends her love.” I reach for it, but it dissolves into ash.

Lucien’s smooth voice cuts through the darkness. “History repeating itself, little witch.” His eyes glow red, and I stumble backward right into Darick’s arms. For a moment, I feel safe, but then his grip tightens painfully.

“You’re mine,” he growls, and I feel his fangs graze my neck. I try to scream, but no sound comes out.

The dream fragments again. I’m in Gran’s living room, objects floating around me as my magic spirals out of control. Kara’s face is a mask of fear. “Ro, what’s happening to you?”

I look down at my hands, shimmering with power I don’t understand. “I don’t know,” I whisper, terror clawing at my throat.

Suddenly, I’m face to face with Darick again. His glacial eyes burn into mine, full of hunger and something deeper. “We’re bound, Rowan,” he says softly. “You can’t escape it.”

I stare at Darick, my heart racing. His presence is magnetic, drawing me in even as every instinct screams to push him away. The forest around us shimmers, dream-like, but suddenly, I know that this is no longer just a simple fantasy. This conversation is real.

He’s here. In my dream.

“Get out of my head,” I snarl. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Darick’s eyes soften, a flicker of hurt crossing his face. “This is the only time you let your guard down, Rowan. I needed to see you; to find out that you were okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because there was an incident on vampire territory, and my first thought was that it was you. Even when I learned it wasn’t…I had to see for myself.”

He was worried about me?

Don’t let him sway you, Rowan. He’s just looking out for himself.

“Well, I’m fine.” I splay my arms wide. “You can leave now.”

He huffs out an exasperated breath. “No. There’s more. I need to explain—”

“Explain what?” I cut him off. “How you used me? How you’re involved with my sister’s disappearance?”

He takes a step closer, and I hate how my body responds, craving his nearness. “I swear to you, I had nothing to do with Mia. And what you saw at the Nocturne Lounge…it wasn’t what you think.”

I laugh bitterly. “Right. You were just having a friendly chat with your fangs in her neck.”

“I was desperate,” Darick says, his voice filled with intensity. “You refused to help me, and I’m…I’m not well, Rowan. After fending off your magic, I was drained; I needed to rebuild my strength. And the Bloodbane—”

“Stop.” I hold up a hand. “I don’t want to hear your excuses.”

He falls silent, watching me with those unsettling eyes. The dreamscape shifts around us, and suddenly, we’re in my bedroom.

“Why are you really here, Darick?” I ask, exhaustion creeping into my voice.

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