Chapter 43: All for love
Sabrina’s villa, a Gothic mansion with stone turrets, stood in the residential area of Lewis Center. Stained-glass windows cast colorful shards of light on the polished parquet floor of the entrance, where crystal chandeliers flickered faintly. The air smelled of aged wood and a hint of jasmine, a remnant of Sabrina’s mother’s perfume, long gone.
Sabrina, in a burgundy velvet dress, paced nervously through the grand living room, her heels clicking on the floor. Her hair, loose, cascaded over her shoulders, and her glowing red eyes betrayed a rare anxiety. Her father, a noble vampire named Viktor, had returned from a trip to Prague. She wanted to believe this reunion would be warm, but a knot in her stomach whispered otherwise.
The front door creaked open, and Viktor entered, his imposing figure filling the space. His graying hair, pulled back, and his tailored black suit gave him the air of a lord from another time. His eyes, a deeper red than Sabrina’s, scanned the room before settling on his daughter. A fleeting smile crossed his face, and he opened his arms. "My dear Sabrina," he said, his voice deep and velvety. "You are the image of your mother."
Sabrina, momentarily forgetting her fears, rushed to him, embracing him. "Dad, I’ve missed you," she whispered, her voice trembling. The scent of his cologne, a blend of leather and sandalwood, brought her back to her childhood, when he would tell her horror stories of Wunder hunting their vampire ancestors.
Viktor stroked her hair, but his smile faded. He stepped back, his gaze sharpening. "Something has changed," he said, his tone turning cold. He grasped her chin, forcing Sabrina to look at him. "The blood bond. You’ve done it. With whom?"
Sabrina swallowed, her hands clenching. She had hoped he wouldn’t notice right away. "Dad, I..."
"Don’t lie to me," Viktor cut in, his voice sharp as a blade. "You were promised to Lord Darius, a 130-year-old vampire, a pillar of our hierarchy. And you dare to seal a blood bond with another?"
Sabrina stepped back, her eyes blazing with defiance. "Darius is a monster! He doesn’t love me, he just wants a trophy for his family! I love Ben. The bond was to protect him, to protect us!"
Viktor slapped her, the sound echoing in the living room. Sabrina brought a hand to her cheek, tears welling up, but she stood firm, her chin raised. "You dishonor me," Viktor growled, his fangs glinting in the light. "A commoner Wunder? A human? A bastard with no lineage? I don’t even want to know. You’ve broken a sacred alliance! Darius will not forgive, and our family will pay the price."