Bloodbound: The Alliance
Chapter 68 - 70

Chapter 68: Chapter 70

Trapped in the heat of his gaze, his lips curving into a slow, satisfied smirk that only deepens my discomfort. My hands instinctively push against his chest, but his grip doesn’t falter.

"Do you know Alec?"

I frown at the strange name. "No, should I?"

"A wife should," he corrects playfully. He leans closer and my face tilts away so his lips can graze my temple, only to take a nip at my ear. "Alec is a friend—best friends since boarding school and he’s throwing me a party in honor of us."

I free a wry gesture, a sound scraping off a bitter laugh. "As if I’d ever been seen at one of your disgusting sex parties—I’ve seen the tabloids and I won’t be a part of any of that."

I attempt to push past him again, but his hand snaps out, and with a forceful shove, he drives me backward. The sharp edge of the counter digs painfully into my lower back, trapping me in place. My breath catches, my chest heaving as I turn my face away, desperate to conceal the shimmer of unshed tears threatening to spill.

"I find it fascinating that you think you have a choice."

He grabs my jaw to force me to face him. The light in his eyes dims to give way to untold revile. The facade of charm and charisma crumbles away, leaving behind the raw, unvarnished truth he himself once confessed to me—a chilling vow to become my ruin.

"I’ll fetch you this Saturday at 8pm—or somewhere around there." His eyes take a dive to scour the length of me with a scathing smile. "And wear something that doesn’t make you look like a pastor’s wife." His chilling smile only grows as if feeding on my fear. "That night will be about the sin before the repentance."

"Let me go, Landen," I manage, my voice trembling with equal parts fear and outrage.

But he doesn’t move, his expression unreadable as the seconds stretch unbearably long. And then, just as abruptly as he closed the distance, he releases me, stepping back with a low chuckle that lingers in the air like smoke.

"For now," he says, his tone as smooth as silk, but the promise in his words chills me to the core. He leaves, claiming another backward glance and I’m left gripping the edge of the sink, trying to steady the wild beating of my heart.

***

I dump myself on Kelsey’s beanbag. "I don’t even know why I’m here."

Kelsey strolls inside her living room with a look of exaggerated offense. "So it’s not to see the person you love most in this world?"

"Oh, no it is," I say quickly. "My instinct was to come here even though my mind was not made about it. That’s the problem. It’s not fair that I keep coming to you with my problems."

"It’s quite a big clause in the best friends since childhood agreement," she says before spreading herself on the couch adjacent to me, propping her folded arms on the border of the sofa to stare back at me inquisitively. "It’s literally the bare minimum."

"Well, I feel like I’ve been exploiting you... emotionally."

"Tell you what." She lifts her chin to scratch the side of her head and a dark lock swoops out of place. "You take me to whatever fabulous and flamboyant place or island of your honeymoon destination and we’ll call it even."

I try to strangle a smile to keep a serious expression.

"I’m serious... lately things have been very one-sided."

A look envelopes her expression as she shakes her head with a blatant shock like I fail to see something so obvious. She rests her chin back on the ridge of crossed arms.

"Avara, my sweet darling girl," she coos. "Your life has been thrown into utter chaos... something out of a Telenovela. It’s quite understandable if you needed more support, honestly more than that’s been given. Your whole life you committed to others and yet fate rewards you with even more troubles."

I quirk my brows, inhaling a deep breath. "Speaking of trouble. Landen showed up to my house the other day after an important dinner party hosted by my dad."

A dim flicker of interest over her face. "I’m guessing he wasn’t there to talk about political affairs of state?"

"Do you know Alec—"

"Bamford?" she interjects with more excitement than I expected.

She receives my mute judgment with a jaded look. "What? I own a business. I kinda have to have social media."

"But what business do you have about knowing Alec—Bamford—was it?"

She snorts wryly. "Everything because he’s literally everywhere. Same as Landen, he’s the heir to a billion dollar conglomerate and yet still smaller than Vacheron Enterprises with a sphere of influence over the entire northern hemisphere. A Lot of Landen’s headline-making parties of unspeakable debauchery are hosted by Alec."

I lift my legs to curl into a ball, nestling against the cushioned cocoon that embraces me. Kelsey watches my movements with increasing concern as she too moves. Shifting so she slips upright, resting on her knees as she steadies herself with her hands on the thick arm of the couch.

"Does Landen want you to meet him or something?"

"He wants me to attend one of his parties. This Saturday."

Kelsey erects so her posture is pole-like. "Oh, hell. Girl you literally can’t. Avara, if it becomes known that you are attending sex parties—because that’s what they are, basically. Such a scandal will deter investors from supporting your charity galas. It will ruin your image and further damage the rappart you built with the public. And those associated with you will be impacted, and your father could lose endorsements."

"I know it can stain our image." I lift myself so I’m sitting somewhat upright. "But I’m more worried about the—the moral breach. My brothers were right and being around the Vacherons makes me do things I would never—their mere presence is poisonous... intoxicating."

"It’s not like you asked for them to be put in your life," she says to spare comfort.

I lift a pointed hand to her. "That’s what I said, but... I think it goes deeper than that."

My words trail off into a tense moment of silence before Kelsey drops back down.

"What’s your plan?"

"There is no plan," I say with a bitter chaff. "My dad has become Colton Vacheron’s pet. Everyone but his own hands pulls at his strings. It seems. My dad will side with Mr Vacheron and Mr Vacheron has this uncanny softness for Landen. His disappointment and scrutiny is open, but he doesn’t treat him with the same harshness as Vance. Besides, Landen knows how to... twist the narrative. He acts one way, but is something else entirely. He’s not the party idiot the world makes him out to be—not really."

Kelsey snorts in a way intended as an insult. "Is there anything else?"

"Something sinister."

She glances back at me with a fresh wave of worry welling in her eyes. "Avara, you can’t go to that party."

I surrender a helpless shrug. "I don’t have a choice—not anymore, if I even ever had any."

"Make one," she suggests. "Let me come with you. I’ll come to your house, all dressed and ready and I can go with you. I can make sure Landen won’t say no to me. It’d look suspicious if he did."

I consider it for not a moment too long. It feels too selfish to accept even when she’s offering, but subconsciously I knew she would and that’s why I came here inherently. And I can’t help feeling a burning shame because of it. I know it’s not wrong to ask for help, but I feel like I’ve been leaching off her good nature that’s been centered around me. And it’s for that reason I can’t let her bear the burden of being my friend.

"I don’t even know why you’re thinking about it like I need your permission," she snaps with an amusing attitude before she slumps back into the sofa comfortably. "I’m going."

I concede a smile, shaking my head in disagreement. "I’ll make sure the honeymoon is at Corfu island—just for you."

Her eyes sparkle at the prospect before her grin falls away. "Cruel of you to tempt me like that, but I was only kidding. I don’t want to be around when you and Landen have to... consummate the marriage."

"Consummate?" I say before I break into a stomach-aching fit of laughter. "Is this the sixteenth century? After the wedding and everything is signed—I wash my hands clean of the Vacherons until it’s time to get a divorce."

On cue, my phone shrieks and my own smile drops.

Kelsey smiles back at me humouredly as her eyes dart to my lap. "How much do you want to bet that’s one of the Vacheron brothers now?"

I raise myself with a flat stare before I slip out my phone.

Heat coils in my chest, a wave of tension cresting as my phone vibrates in my hand. The number flashing on the screen is unfamiliar, and for a fleeting moment, I brace myself, assuming it’s Botan. But when I answer, the voice that greets me isn’t his. It’s one I recognize instantly—unexpected yet soothing, bringing a relief so sharp it steals my breath.

"Simon," I exhale, my voice trembling with disbelief. "You’re alive."