BOUND BY MIDNIGHT

Elliot's POV

The scent was still there. Lingering. Inescapable.

I stood at the entrance of my personal infirmary, my eyes locked onto the fragile form lying on the bed. Even in unconsciousness, Katherine was defiant. Her face, though marred by faint bruises, held an eerie sense of peace. As if she hadn't just challenged me in front of my own people. As if she hadn't bled under my command and dared to remain unbroken.

My jaw clenched.

She was healing, albeit too slowly for my liking. The doctors had done their job, but human bodies were weak—pathetic. And yet, despite her fragility, she was unlike any human I had encountered. The moment my fangs had pierced her skin, my world had shifted.

Her blood… it was everything. The taste I had been searching for, the flavor that no other offering had ever satisfied. It was hers.

And she would be mine

I took a slow step forward, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. "How long until she wakes?" I asked coldly, without tearing my gaze away from her.

"She should regain consciousness in a few days, my Lord," one of the doctors replied hesitantly.

A few days? I scoffed. That was too long. I didn't have the patience to wait.

Turning sharply, I left the infirmary, but Katherine's scent followed me like a haunting melody. Her face, the way her body had gone limp in my arms, the way she had not begged for mercy—it all consumed my thoughts.

She would apologize to me. She would submit. And I would make sure of it.

Katherine's POV

Everything was dark. Silent.

I floated somewhere between consciousness and nothingness, my body feeling weightless yet unbearably heavy.

Was I dead?

No.

I could feel something. A dull ache in my limbs, a sharp sting at my neck. The sensation of something cold brushing against my skin. Slowly, the weight of reality pulled me back, and my eyes fluttered open.

I was alive.

And I hated it.

Memories rushed in like a cruel tide. The whipping. The burning pain. Elliot's piercing gaze. His fangs. The sharp agony of his bite before the world had gone black.

A shudder ran through me, but I forced myself to sit up. The room I was in was unfamiliar, sterile, and cold. This wasn't my home. It wasn't even the infirmary for humans.

Panic surged in my chest. I tried to move, but my body was sluggish. Weak. Before I could gather my bearings, the door creaked open.

I froze.

And there he was.

Elliot King.

The vampire lord who had nearly killed me. The man who had drained my blood and left me to die.

He was as cruelly beautiful as ever. Dark suit perfectly tailored, not a hair out of place, his sharp eyes locking onto me like a predator who had found his prey.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he approached.

"You're awake," he mused, his voice smooth, almost pleased.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold his gaze. I would not show fear.

He took another step closer, the scent of power and blood surrounding him like an invisible cloak. "I assume you have something to say to me?"

I narrowed my eyes. "And what would that be?"

He tilted his head, as if studying a rare, peculiar creature. "An apology, perhaps?"

I let out a bitter laugh, despite the pain it caused. "For what?"

His jaw tightened. "For your disobedience. For your foolish defiance."

I glared at him. "You whipped me. You bit me. And you want an apology?"

Elliot's expression remained unreadable, but there was something dark in his gaze. Something dangerous. He moved so fast I barely registered it before his cold fingers wrapped around my throat, lifting my chin just enough to make me look at him fully.

"You should be grateful," he murmured, his voice almost tender. "You are alive because of me."

I clenched my fists. I would not break.

He leaned in slightly, his breath brushing against my skin. "You're a weak little human. I could snap your neck without a thought."

"Then do it," I challenged.

His fingers tightened fractionally, but there was no real pressure. No true intent to harm. Instead, he let out a low, amused chuckle.

"You're either very brave or very stupid."

"Maybe both," I shot back.

His eyes darkened. He didn't like that.

Elliot's grip loosened before he suddenly stepped away, as if deciding I wasn't worth the effort. But I saw it—the flicker of something in his expression. Frustration? Amusement? Something else entirely?

"You're impossible," he muttered, running a hand through his hair before regaining his usual composed demeanor.

He turned to the guards stationed outside. "Take her to my chambers."

My breath hitched. What?

The guards hesitated. Even they seemed surprised by the order.

"Y-Your chambers, my Lord?" one of them asked cautiously.

Elliot's eyes flickered with irritation. "Did I stutter?"

"No, my Lord," the guard quickly responded, stepping forward.

Panic flared in my chest. "Why?" I demanded, trying to ignore the way my voice shook.

Elliot smirked, his expression impossibly arrogant. "Because, little human, you are now my personal maid."

My heart nearly stopped. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I assure you, I am." His tone was far too pleased. "Since you refuse to understand your place, I will teach you."

I clenched my fists, glaring at him with all the hatred I could muster. "I'd rather die."

His smirk widened. "You'll find that I'm not so generous a second time."

Before I could protest further, the guards seized my arms, dragging me toward the door. I struggled, but my body was still weak. Elliot simply watched, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"I'll never serve you," I spat, kicking at the guards.

He merely shrugged. "You will. Or you'll suffer the consequences."

I was shoved forward, and I stumbled, barely catching myself.

But before the doors closed behind me, I heard his voice one last time.

"Welcome to my world, Katherine."

And with that, my fate was sealed.