Page 11 of Moon Bound

“Oh, Aspen, I knew you’d be special.” Without pause, Chase unleashes a whirlwind of action, the movement almost silent as his eyes flash red, the smirk undying on his lips. The way he moves - with a speed and ease mesmerizing in its power - would have been impressive if I wasn’t focusing on fucking destroying him just to prove I could.

As his body comes into contact with mine, I stay on my feet, absorbing the impact as I reach up, my hands on his shoulders, and pull myself up to flip over his back. My claws pierce into his skin as I flip, my wrists bending as I work my claws deeper into his shoulders before my body turns, landing graciously on my feet facing his back.

Chase roars in pain as I follow the path my claws started, tugging lower. There is no resistance as I tear into his flesh, blood pouring down his back. Chase launches forward before the blood flow stops, and his skin starts to knit together again slowly. I frown at the wounds not fully healing as quickly as expected.

He spins, face filled with fury and a heavy dose of surprise. Slowly, we fall into synced movements, circling one another as I lick the blood off my claws, savoring the taste.

“Interesting,” Chase murmurs to himself, knowing I’ll hear it anyway. “Not bad for a novice. But you still have a lot to learn, and I’m not one of your weak pack mutts.” The depraved voice in my head moans lustfully, the excitement of battle coursing through my veins, the desire for bloodshed insatiable as my instincts take over. Chase may be older, but he admitted to being curious about me. Well, here I am.

My body moves through the clearing, my legs quickly eating the distance between us. Chase grabs my wrist as my claws go for his neck, and twists sharply, causing me to bend forward right before driving his knee into my stomach. Once. Twice. With a roar that shakes the very essence of the trees around us, he grabs me by my throat, lifting me off the ground, his face snarling into mine. A moment intended to be menacing, but as he presses my body against his, our breaths mingling from exertion, I raise my gold-induced eyes to his. Suddenly, time seems to stand still.

Even if his hands weren’t around my throat, my ability to breathe would still have been limited as all the air drains from the very top of my head down to my toes; the tension between us charged with a raw, magnetic energy that is impossible to ignore—a solid force, palpable to us both.

Chase's green eyes glint with a mixture of amusement and desire as he licks his dangerously full lips, a deep-seated hunger in his gaze. My body responds in kind, my desire flushing through my nerve endings. Permitting my feet to touch the ground, his hands are still firmly around my throat, only this time, his thumb caresses the pulse in my neck. Pulling me under a spell, we just stand there, neither making a move and unable to look away from each other. Fuck the moon, what I wouldn’t let him do to me in this endless moment. Finally, Chase breaks the silence, his voice low and husky.

"Well, Princess, I must say, you've exceeded my expectations." Using the distraction, I dig my claws into his hands, shoving Chase away and shaking away the sensations coursing through my body.

"I told you, I'm not a princess," I reply, my voice just as low. Chase looks at the cuts on his hands, falling into a trance. Again, the skin doesn’t immediately heal, and I admit, I’m just as curious. Chase's lips quirk as he moves back into my personal space. I don’t resist his hands running down my arms, marking me with two thick lines of his blood. If there’s a deeper vampire meaning to that, I wouldn’t know, but Chase’s features flare with some unreadable expression.

"No." He presses closer, taking a deep breath, his gaze slightly glowing and never leaving mine. "You are something else entirely. Something... mesmerizing."

My heart skips a beat, but the moment is quickly broken as another voice fills the clearing.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Jaxon’s gruff tone vibrates with anger as he shoots closer, his body moving with preternatural grace. Mint body wash invades my senses, cleansing me of the fog in my mind. In a fresh change of clothing, Jax folds his arms over a white vest, camo green cargos, and military-style boots. His hair hangs over his shoulder, water dripping from the thick braid. I arch a brow.

“You left me at the mercy of your soldier whilst going to have a shower?” I take a few measured steps away from the pair of them. There are too many smells and strong undercurrents of lust in the air, and I’m not sure how much of it is coming from me. “What if one of us lost control and killed the other?”

Sawyer squawks from an above branch, a mocking raven’s laugh that says he’d have never let me fall into physical harm. Jax is also inclined to chuckle.

“Considering the only blood coating you is his,” Jax looks me up and down, “I would say you managed to hold your own.”

“She did more than that,” Torsten appears out of the forest's shadows. Slapping Chase hard on the back, a grunt is drawn from the vampire’s lips, his green eyes still not as pissed as they should be. I cut him to ribbons, and it only managed to increase his warped pleasure. All three turn to face me, inquiring gazes hunting for unknown answers. The golden glow is yet to leave my eyes, mainly from the strong scent of blood sinking into my skin. If it weren’t for the present company, I’d have resorted to licking myself clean, searching for the same high Chase’s blood supplied.

Luckily, Jax clears his throat, interrupting my train of thought, and relaxes his stance.

“I’ve received word from the king. We have a new set of orders.” He steps forward, offering me his hand and waiting for reciprocation. Sawyer lands on my shoulder defensively, but I take it anyway. “Amendments have been put in place at the castle for you, Aspen. It’s time to meet your real father.”

Chapter6

Lorcan

"King Lorcan, they have arrived," my assistant, Nova, informs, poking her head into my office. Light brown hair hangs from a high ponytail, and she pushes red-framed glasses up her nose with a skinny index finger. The ones she always pairs with red high heels.

I give a single nod, and she retreats just as quickly as she came in, gently closing the door between us. I wasn't in the best mood before receiving the call from Jaxon, and now I’m furious. A daughter of mine - a hybrid of two species - exiled. Outcast and forgotten. Since I learned of Aspen’s existence, I’ve been planning. Bidding my time, but now I wish I hadn’t waited. This changes everything.

The constant ache inside my chest tugs uncomfortably, which I uselessly try to rub away. Nothing ever soothes the pain, and nothing ever will. With a sigh, I stand from my leather chair and walk slowly towards the door, dragging my hand along the glass surface of my desk.

My office is my sanctuary, even if it was recently renovated at the insistence of the Techies. They’re adamant that we must keep up with human advances or risk falling prey to them once again. I’m a creature of habit, preferring the traditions I’ve known for centuries. Not the damn screen on my desk that connects me to an outside world I want no part of. Here, I can ignore my personal problems and focus on the issues at hand. Enabling the vamps to thrive, keeping our armies strong and enemies at bay.

Making my way through the stone corridors with long, measured strides, I descend a winding staircase on the far east side of the castle, leading to the indoor botanical gardens. The entire east section is dedicated to the few females amongst us, giving them room to flourish. There's space for all the arts and the freedom to indulge their every whim. From a large hall for instrumental and singing practices, a pottery room complete with kilns, art studios, a gallery to display their creations, and a two-story library with books lining every wall. Everything a wondering mind could ask for while weighing up marriage proposals.

Hesitating outside the glass doors that lead to the gardens, I nervously rake a hand through my slicked-back hair. A shiver courses down my spine, and I take a moment to steady my breathing. If my fellow vamps could see me now, they'd surely laugh at the wreck I've become. I'm not the confident king I once was—I avoid public events and shirk meetings whenever possible. Too much has transpired, leaving me a shadow of my former self.

Straightening my black shirt, I step forward, and the automatic doors slide open. The humidity hits me first, then the scent of blossoms and musical notes of chirping birds. The rounded extension was built with UV-protective glass panels, creating a domed ceiling. Evidently, a mirror image of the gymnasium recently built on the far side of the castle. Shades of lush greenery stretch across the greenhouse, welcoming me into their fold. I don't often visit, as this is the female's sanctuary - but I do like to marvel at their hard work occasionally.

Tropical plants, from large palms to ferns, stretch towards the moon, creating a natural leafy canopy in its honor. On the ground, varieties of colored flowers line twisting walkways leading to a waterfall in the center. A powerful cascade of water rushes from the edge of a vast rock, plunging into a pool of rippling water. The plumbers assured me of a draining system linking to a continual cycle, but I don’t honestly care. We all have our roles; plumbing is theirs, ignoring the rising realization that I can’t continue much longer is mine. Stopping by the water, I watch the glimmering scales of large Koi fish dancing beneath the surface, their scales glinting in the moonlight.

Rolling up my shirt sleeves to the elbow and opening my top button, I realize I’ve left my jacket and waistcoat behind. The big show of power I had prepared in my office was meant to impress Aspen, my suit of the finest caliber, but this will have to do. At least with every Vamp, including the females, making the most of their precious time outdoors, we have complete privacy. The rear doors left wide open should prove less intrusive for Aspen’s senses, and the foliage mirroring the shifter camp should provide her with a calming oasis. Although, it seems there’s much I don’t understand about her upbringing.

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