Bound by Blood, Chained by Fate

Elijah's words hung in the air like a heavy cloud. "Sister, you know me better than anyone, but I promise you, if you so much as touch the air she breathes…"

Selene froze, her heart hammering in her chest. The shock quickly turned to anger. How dare he threaten me over an ordinary human girl? She wanted to understand, to rationalize his behavior, but nothing about this situation made sense. Elijah was her brother, and yet, here he was, threatening her over something—someone—she knew nothing about.

A part of her wanted to fight him, to restrain him and force him to see reason. She could live with him hating her if it meant doing the right thing. But then the doubt crept in. Could she truly live with that? Could she stand to bear his loathing, especially when it seemed his actions were so out of character?

"What's so special about her?" Selene's voice was low, dripping with suspicion and dread.

Elijah only smiled, the answer coming as a quiet, cryptic response. "I don't know myself."

That response only deepened Selene's frustration. The uncertainty gnawed at her, and she couldn't hold back. "If Father finds out—"

Elijah cut her off with cold finality, his tone darkening. "Then I'd have no choice but to become the heir I was born to be. I'd kill him."

The weight of his words hit Selene like a slap. Her brother, the same Elijah who had been cast out for refusing to kill their father and seize the power that was rightfully his, now spoke of doing the unthinkable without hesitation—all for a girl he claimed he didn't even understand.

As the realization settled in, Selene's expression darkened. What had happened to him? Her brother, so adamant about not becoming the heir, was now so willing to cast everything aside. It made her uneasy, but beneath the unease was a knowing sense of inevitability. Elijah had always followed his own path, and this time, it seemed he'd gone too far.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice quieter but no less serious. "Then as your sister, I will help you keep this secret. But know this—I don't like this situation one bit. And if I deem it necessary, I will get rid of her. And you will bear the hatred for me for however long it takes to realize this was a mistake."

Elijah's eyes softened with gratitude. "Thank you, Selene. I knew you'd come through." Then, with a sudden shift in mood, he brightened and beamed. "Now, what's for dinner?"

Selene shot him a look that was as much anger as it was disbelief. "Dinner? You don't deserve dinner. Didn't you already eat?"

Elijah frowned. "Oh, come on. Are you still mad that I threatened you? I had no choice."

Selene ignored him, walking away, her steps sharp and purposeful. Elijah trailed behind, complaining in that annoyingly familiar tone. "I still love you, sis. You're still my favorite."

As they sat at the dinner table, eating the meal Selene had prepared, Elijah ate with a hunger that seemed to suggest he hadn't eaten in days, though in reality, he just loved her cooking. While vampires preferred blood to food, he found the rare meal of real food to be satisfying—especially when it came from Selene. He sipped from a goblet of wine, clearly enjoying himself despite the gravity of the earlier conversation.

Selene looked at him, her tone sharp as she spoke. "You really are so stupid at times, you know. Now I have to ask Cassandra for a favor and scold her. She's supposed to be the eldest and keep an eye on you while you attend the academy, but it seems she's failed miserably."

Elijah, who had already poured himself another glass, shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not entirely her fault. After all, it was after class."

Selene's annoyance flared, but she ignored it, instead focusing on more pressing matters. "So, what do you know about this girl? Which noble family is she from? How long has this been going on?"

Elijah paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Well, actually, she's in my class, so I doubt she's from any noble family. I know next to nothing about her—not even her name, since I don't pay attention in class. The only thing I do know is that she's a woman of exquisite beauty and an incredible will. That's what I like about her. She insulted me to my face after I killed a group of people stronger than her. Can you believe that?"

Selene's grip tightened around her fork as she stabbed a piece of steak, her irritation evident. The force she used caused the plate to clatter, but it remained unbroken, much to Elijah's surprise. He stopped speaking, sensing the shift in her mood.

Selene's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she responded, "You're still the same idiotic younger brother, aren't you? Let me guess—were you also in your usual drunken state when you did this?"

Elijah took a cautious sip of wine, treading lightly. "Of course not. I still had school," he replied, wary of his sister's temper.

Selene glared at him, her eyes narrowed. "And this beauty you speak of—she's prettier than me, I suppose?"

Elijah's eyes flicked to her, instantly recognizing the danger in her gaze. He hesitated, then responded carefully, "Well…" The glare intensified, and he quickly added, "Definitely not. My sister's beauty is unmatched, even by the stars themselves."

Selene's lips curled into a smirk. "Well, it seems you still know how to speak with respect."

"Now tell me," Selene said, her voice calm but sharp, "You bit someone who's most likely a commoner, and you killed a group of people. Was this all on the academy grounds? How did this situation even occur for you to kill them?"

Elijah set down his goblet and sighed, preparing to explain. "Yes, it all happened on the academy grounds. They'd beaten her half to death, and being the gallant knight in shining armor that I am, I had to rescue her." He paused, then added, his voice darkening slightly, "But it was her blood that drew me in. The smell—intoxicating, unlike anything I've ever smelled or tasted before. It was… heavenly."

Selene's eyebrows arched, both surprised and intrigued. "You rescued her? That's unlike you. We both know you don't have the heart of a hero. What made you protect her? It wasn't just her blood—you're hiding something."

Elijah's expression darkened further, his gaze turning distant. "They were talking about her," he admitted, his voice low.

Selene's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "And that angered you?"

He nodded, but the weight in his voice was heavy. "Not exactly. It was the words they were using—'talentless,' 'useless.' They called her those things. Those words… they were too familiar."

Selene's understanding was instant. She knew those words all too well—words their father had once spoken to Elijah. Her gaze softened, but her suspicion remained. "So, it was pity, then?"

Elijah took a deep breath, poured another glass of wine, and drank it in one gulp. "Not really. It was something else. She had something I didn't have when Father said those same things to me. She had the desire to fight back. That's what made me turn her."

Selene sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I knew it was a mistake to let you attend the academy. I should have taken you out when we left."

Selene continued speaking, her tone stern. "Also, your training has to continue now whether you like it or not. Since you want to be bound to someone other than me, you must suffer for this." Elijah groaned. His sister said training, but he knew she was just going to take out her anger on him for not choosing her. He understood her overprotectiveness and unyielding love for him—love that crossed the lines of sibling bonds—but at times, she was a bit overbearing. In fact, any girl he had slept with, usually in a drunken haze, she killed. He didn't mind much; he didn't love them—they were just tools to satisfy his desires. Elijah was aware of his flaws, but the only reason he didn't kill his father was because he didn't want the responsibilities.

Selene continued, noticing his dissatisfied expression. "We won't start tonight, since you have to go to class in the morning, and I have to make arrangements. Though, well, at least not your real training. We will do a bit of regeneration training."

Elijah's face crumpled in despair. His sister was going to cover him in wounds from head to toe, or boil his blood, or burn him alive, or freeze him—the possibilities were endless. As strong as she was as a vampire, she was also a formidable witch, and her magical prowess went hand in hand with her vampiric strength.

He began eating slowly, hoping to delay the inevitable. Selene, seeing this, chuckled sadistically. "Dear brother, vampires don't really need sleep, so take your time. We have all night. I have to teach you a lesson for disregarding your elder sister as a woman."

Elijah reluctantly stood in the basement, which had been converted into a small training room. He was naked, knowing there was no point in wearing clothes that would be destroyed by his sister's relentless assaults. Selene stood a few feet in front of him, taking in her brother's naked appearance. She had seen it many times, but her desire grew every time.

"Brother, do you remember when you lost your virginity?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.

Elijah frowned, feeling a manly reaction stir within him. Selene's face brightened. "Oh, it seems you do. Well, of course, I will spare that part of your body. Its use is still needed, even though it will regrow. I'm not heartless, though it fills me with joy that I can still get a reaction out of you."

Elijah groaned. His sister was a pervert; this wasn't normal. He sighed and told her, "Let's just get this over with."

Selene's expression shifted, a mix of anger and amusement. "Well, it seems you are able to resist my womanly charms now," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. She grabbed a sword and instantly embedded it in his heart. "You definitely need to regrow this part since the trace of me there seems too small."

Elijah coughed up blood, unable to die by normal means. The only way to kill them was a secret he and his father had shared when he was undergoing training to be the heir. Their entire family was ageless, immortal creatures with immeasurable power, and their bloodline was supposed to be kept pure to maintain that power. When they turned others, they had to put a ring on them, tying their life to theirs and ensuring the process of becoming a vampire was pure and uninterrupted.

Selene's blows came fast, each one sharper than the last. Magic and steel. Pain and healing. It was all the same. But this time, the anger behind it was different. Elijah felt it more than the pain—an intensity he hadn't seen from her in a long time. It wasn't just the girl. It was that he'd bound himself to someone else. He could feel Selene's need for control, her desire to keep him to herself, and it wasn't lost on him.

He wasn't angry at her. He couldn't be. But it had been a while since she'd been this furious. Even with all his reckless flings, she'd never reacted like this. This was new. She was punishing him, but it was more than just anger—it was a warning.

Each strike, each spell, felt like a reminder. She was trying to force him to remember who he belonged to, to remind him that he was hers to protect, to mold. To make strong enough to keep the freedom he loved, even if it meant hurting him.

The pain wasn't unbearable; he'd been through worse. But the tension between them—the way she looked at him with both frustration and something darker—was something he couldn't ignore. He loved her, and she loved him, but this... this was something else.

By the time Selene stepped back, he was battered but standing. It wasn't the physical pain that weighed on him, but the silent message she'd delivered with every strike. She didn't want him weak. She didn't want him slipping away. And that made her methods as suffocating as they were necessary in her eyes.

As he stepped into the shower, the water soothing his wounds, Elijah sighed. He didn't hate her. He loved her, despite everything. But sometimes, it felt like her love was a cage—one he couldn't escape.

Elijah chuckled quietly to himself, muttering, "What a crazy sister." But his amusement was short-lived. The next thing he heard sent a chill down his spine—a call from downstairs, loud and clear: "I heard that."

A shiver ran through him, colder than the blood in his veins. He quickly focused on washing up, trying to push away the unease. There were moments when he wondered whether it was lucky or unlucky that his sister cared for him so much. But that care, though constant, was also suffocating. It was one of the reasons he still attended the academy—it gave him a sliver of freedom, a chance to breathe outside the chaos of their home.

After finishing his shower, he dressed quickly in his school uniform, then hurried downstairs, still trying to shake the lingering tension. As he sat at the table, he noticed Selene wasn't in her usual casual attire. She looked like she was going somewhere.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked, eyeing her with curiosity.

She nodded as she walked to the kitchen, beginning to make breakfast. She did feel a bit guilty for having to punish him, but it was necessary. The frustration he caused her often left her with no choice but to use force. She was unpredictable, often bipolar in her moods. She didn't like harming him, but she'd learned the hard way that the only way to get through to him was pain.

With her back to him, she spoke without raising her voice. "I'm going with you."

Elijah stared at her, confused. "Why?"

She set the eggs down and replied simply, "There are multiple reasons. First, I need to talk to our older sister about some things. This girl you've decided on—I need to see her too. And I guess I can visit our other siblings while I'm at it."

Elijah grunted, his mind already drifting to his siblings. He had four older sisters, a twin brother, and his dear youngest sister, Layla, who was his true favorite. Layla was kind-hearted, always striving for peace in their fractured family, though her bubbly nature could get on his nerves sometimes. And don't get him started on her terrible taste in men—that was the one thing he and Lloyd could agree on.

Lloyd, his twin brother, had been trained to be his right-hand man. They'd once been close, but Elijah's refusal to take responsibility had torn that bond apart. Even after Elijah was exiled from the family, Lloyd refused to take his place, asserting that Elijah was the rightful heir and that he would serve only him. But now? They barely spoke without arguing. Lloyd was fed up with Elijah's immaturity, and he expected Elijah to live up to his potential as the heir.

Lloyd knew Elijah wasn't truly talentless, but it was Elijah's reluctance to harness that potential that frustrated him. Lloyd, also a third-year at the academy, was in the same grade but in a much higher, more respected class—the one filled with generational talents. The academy started at 16, and most students graduated by 24. Layla, his baby sister, was a first-year—just beginning her journey but already in the highest class of her grade. Then there was Cassandra, his teacher, the eldest, in her early thousands, followed by Selene, who was in her late 700s, and two other sisters, one in her 300s and the other in her 100s.

Their father had once doted on him—his first son, his pride—but now, Elijah wondered how much of that affection remained. He hadn't lived up to the expectations placed on him, and in doing so, he'd lost something important—something irreplaceable.

Elijah glanced at Selene, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Can you at least wait until after school to tell Cassandra?"

Selene raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing but sharp. "Oh, so you're scared of her but not me? What am I, a joke to you?"

Elijah chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I'm more scared of her, honestly. She... shows much less restraint."

Selene sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, I'll wait. But you're only delaying the inevitable." She turned back to the stove, moving with effortless precision, her vampire speed allowing her to cook multiple dishes at once.

Elijah sat down as she placed the food in front of him, diving into the meal with relish. He reached for a glass of wine, but Selene intercepted him with a firm look. "How long are you going to keep hiding behind alcohol?"

He grinned lazily, unfazed. "Until they stop making it."

Selene's expression softened into a sigh, her exasperation tinged with acceptance. She decided to let it go—for now. He had an eternity to grow up, and though it frustrated her, she figured he could enjoy this phase of his life a little longer.

While Elijah ate, Selene joined him at the table. Her manners were flawless, a stark contrast to his casual demeanor. Eventually, Elijah finished his meal, stood up, and gave her a quick wave as he headed out the door. "Bye, Selene," he called over his shoulder.

Selene watched him leave, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Good luck," she murmured, though whether it was for him or Cassandra was anyone's guess.