Bloodbound: The Alliance
Chapter 36 - 40

Chapter 36: Chapter 40

Vance POV

We peel out of the treeline of the forest.

I pause to let her go ahead. A flamboyant picnic set up at the nose of a cliff, untouchable at this height with a godly sight of the jeweled landscape and the town set alight, warding off the darkness of night. Kelsey goes to the blankets and the forte of cushions and pillows, eyeing the selection of gourmet appetizers and the selection of alcohol decked on a long, low-lying wooden table.

"What happened to not calling people to do stuff like this for you?"

I raise an oblivious shoulder.

She shakes her head and lowers her queenly figure to the cushions. I come closer to seat myself next to her. Her gaze brushes mine for the briefest second, and my heart stumbles, skipping a beat before it slams into a frantic rhythm, racing uncontrollably. Time falters, suspended in the space between that fleeting connection and the wild surge that follows. She severs eye contact and moves to sample a taste of the heirloom tomato galette with pecorino.

"So this... romantic, date-like-setting is better than the actual festival?" she asks, chewing as she stares off into the distance, watching the vibrant town aglow with a lightscape show.

"This is not romantic." Aggravated by the heat that floods my face. "And this is not a date." Blood rushing to my head. "Just a place we came out to when we were kids like Landen said."

She nods, dusting her hands of any crumbs.

The tension coils tighter, stretching unbearably thin, suffocating the space around us. Each breath feels heavy, a struggle, as if the air itself has thickened, resisting my lungs. My chest tightens, every inhale labored, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on me, making even the slightest movement feel impossible.

I glance back at the treeline. Even though I can’t see our guards. I know they’re out there.

"I can’t do this," she says, sundering the tension. She shifts over and shuffles to the array of alcohol. She picks up a bottle of Goût de Diamants, worth two million, and she discards it. Kelsey holds up a bottle of Belvedere vodka. "Want some?"

"Please."

She pours me a shot and hands it to me. I tip my head back and down it instantly. She gives me a surprised smile, sending a thrill through my veins, surging like liquid fire. We do a shot contest, who can do the most shots in under thirty seconds. Shocking us both, it ends in a tie and Kelsey is not happy about that. She takes the tequila ley and pours a sloppy refill for us both, giggling as she spills a few ounces on her lap.

"I have another game." She holds up the shot glass to her eye like it’s a spyglass. "Twenty questions. If you’re lying, you take two shots. If you’re telling the truth, only one."

I squint at her. "That’s not how I remember the rules?"

She holds the glass to the sky, starlight seeping into her bronzed skin. "I make my own rules." She drops her arm, forcing a serious face. "Now. I go first. And I’ll know you if you’re lying. I’ll just know. So. Do you care about Avara? I don’t expect you to be in love, but I need to know that you care about my bestie—my s–sister."

"I do," I say truthfully, taking only one shot.

She scans me with a critical eye before she hands me the bottle. I pour myself a refill.

"Your turn."

The words spring off my tongue. "Will you be bringing someone special to our impending wedding?"

She lets out a hearty, animated laugh, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "You’re kidding?"

"You have to answer the question."

She folds her lips inwards and shakes her head. "No. No, there is no one special."

Kelsey takes only one shot. I believe her, so I hand her back the bottle.

Refilling her glass, she asks, "Why do you care if I brought someone special?"

I shrug quickly. "Just curious."

She points at me like she found me doing something despicable. "You’re lying!"

Panic flits through me. "Why would I care?" I retort.

"Only you can answer that."

I nod carefully. "I don’t care."

I take a shot. I beckon the bottle so I can pour another one.

She gawks at me, gobsmacked, blinking fast like her mind can’t process it.

The effects start, sense and nonsense grappling for my mind. What I want to do and what I shouldn’t start blurring together, suddenly not seeing the difference. A distant explosion steals the attention. The night sky comes alive with bursts of multicolored lights, fireworks setting the black afire. Kelsey marvels at it dazedly, but my eyes are bound on her, a grin illuminating her face, making her incandescent.

She looks at me and it’s like the fireworks are being set inside of my chest, stirring a flurry of feelings and a tempest of raw emotions. Kelsey starts patting the cushions around her before she plucks out her phone. Shortly, she starts playing music, blooming to her full height.

"What are you doing?"

"Just shut up and dance with me!"

She snaps out her hands, fluttering her fingers. I ignore her hands, rising disinterestedly, deserting the bottle and glass. She glares at me, pouting angrily. When she looks away, I grab her, sweeping her away from the blankets and onto solid ground, sending her hair flying out. Our fingers weave together, a seamless connection of warmth and energy as I raise our hands above her, spinning her gently. Her laughter, light and melodic, dances through the air like a spell wrapping around us. I pull her close, lifting her effortlessly, and she throws her head back, arms outstretched like wings in flight, radiant with joy. The sight of her—so free, so alive—ignites something deep within me, a surge so pure that rushes through my veins, filling the moment with electric wonder.

I lower her down gradually. She places her hands on my shoulders, tethering my gaze to her. I stop, keeping her hoisted up from the ground, her feet still far from the ground. She breaks into a smile, brightening my spirits.

"It’s time to let me go now."

"I...I can’t," I admit helplessly.

She frowns through her smile. "And why not?"

"Because I really don’t want to."