Page 56 of A Bond Beyond Blood (The Butcher’s Daughter Trilogy #1)

V inny

An overwhelming fragrance bouquet of blood preceded the vampire king’s arrival, but aside from his own blood, a scent I was now familiar with because it was so similar to Jacqueline’s, I couldn’t decipher whose blood—

Jesus .

Multiple vampires had been wounded tonight; the king included.

But when I listened for footsteps, I only picked up on his. And they weren’t the sure, solid steps of an arrogant asshole. He shuffled himself up the stairs in damn near a labored drag.

I yanked the front door open just as Elias reached the final step and dragged himself up onto the balcony.

“Vinny, my boy,” he said with a grimace—

And then he collapsed in a heap on Jacqueline’s doorstep.

“Shit, what the fuck?” Scanning the street for possible threats, I listened closely for any signs that he’d been followed here, then reached underneath both armpits and dragged him inside.

The rug would be fucked, but I didn’t have time to worry about that now.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growled as I propped him up against the wall just inside, then closed the door.

“I’ve done it,” he said, then his head lolled to the side and his eyes fluttered closed.

“Done what?”

But he was out cold, beaten to a pulp and bloody, the thrum of his pulse steady but much too slow.

I stood above Elias, gaze flicking between him and the clock on the stove. Jacqueline texted me when she and Gannon had begun the walk back after visiting Gannon’s family home, but that was a good thirty minutes ago. She’d be home any minute.

Pulling out my phone, I dialed Gannon’s number. He picked up quickly, but I spoke without giving him a chance to spit out a greeting.

“Don’t bring her back here. Take her to the gym.”

“Why? What’s going—”

“Are you serious?” This fucking kid. “Just do as you’re told.

” I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket, then strode to the fridge.

My girl had begun bringing animal blood up from the shop below, anticipating the vampire king’s return, and, as much as I hated to admit, she wasn’t just anticipating his return, but hoping for it.

I, however, had not been.

She was my girl. She was also Gannon’s, much as I would have liked to prevent that.

If she chose to allow the vampire king into her life, I’d advise her—vehemently—against it, but I would not attempt to control Jacqueline Fiorino. She’d been clear about her feelings toward the good intentions of the men who loved her and had coddled her for her whole damn life.

I wouldn’t be that guy.

And hell, the way she went for what she wanted was part of her appeal.

Blood bag in hand, I lowered into a crouch in front of Elias.

Shaking my head— because how the hell had I wound up here ?

—I reached out with my empty hand and patted his cheek.

“Wake up, Elias.” He wasn’t just a vampire, he was a king , a born royal, which meant his healing abilities would outshine my own by about a thousand times.

The cuts on his face were stitching themselves back together before my eyes.

His torso was covered in blood, but though I wasn’t entirely convinced it was his, I couldn’t be sure how deeply he’d been wounded.

But it had to be bad, simply for the fact that he’d shown up here—and promptly fallen at my mercy.

I slapped his cheek a bit harder this time. “Wake up, asshole,” I growled loudly.

Elias’ eyes flapped open. “Is that really necessary, Vincenzo?” He tsked . “How will we live in harmony with our girl if you begin name calling? Talk about getting off on the wrong foot.”

My teeth clenched at the presumptuous implication, but I didn’t correct him. Now didn’t seem like the time. “What the hell happened to you?”

Elias sat up straighter, then his gaze landed on the blood bag and he swiped it from my hands, savagely tearing into it with his teeth, then gulping it down in three large sips. He sighed loudly, then handed the empty bag back to me like I was his nursemaid.

Rising to my feet, I tossed it into the sink, then crouched down in front of him again. “You look like shit.”

Elias grinned devilishly. “You should see the Council of Lords.”

My eyes widened as alarm trailed an icy fingertip down my spine. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“Why would I do such a thing?” He began to push up and I reached out for him, but he dismissed my concern with the flick of his wrist and rose to his feet. “They needed to be brought to heel, and who better for the job, really, than the one they once tried to dethrone?”

I blinked as I watched him move to the kitchen and start to undress. He turned on the faucet, then frowned. “I’d like a shower.”

“No.”

“Vincenzo.” He sighed. “It takes far more effort to be disagreeable.” Shaking his head as though I were an insolent child, the vampire king began striding down the hallway toward Jacqueline’s room.

“Guest bathroom is on your right.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t smell like her, does it?” He continued on, walking straight into Jacqueline’s bedroom—what had begun to feel like our bedroom—and on into the bathroom. As he stripped down completely and turned on the shower, I leaned against the doorjamb and crossed my arms.

“What’s your goal here, Elias?”

His gaze flicked to mine only briefly as he stepped into the shower stall. The vampire king’s entire body looked chiseled from granite and just as cold with that impossibly pale skin. I don’t know what Jacqueline saw in him, but it was obvious she’d seen and felt something in his presence.

Just my luck to finally have the girl in my arms, only to have two vampires come knocking on her door.

“I’m going to return to the throne and create order out of chaos, Vincenzo.”

“Why here? Why now?”

Elias frowned. “Well, this is where the House of Lords is located.”

I huffed. “Why here ? Why Jacqueline ?”

He chuckled thoughtfully, then tipped his head back, closing his eyes as the water streamed over his head and face.

I ran my tongue over my teeth as he made me wait.

Eventually, he lifted his head and turned toward me.

Jesus.

I tried not to balk at the front view, but even I had to give credit where credit was due.

“Yes, I know,” he said, flashing a grin. “Feel free to join me.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked one eyebrow.

“The here and now of your query are simple enough. Here, because I’ve been coming to Fiorino’s Meats for twenty-one years, and when I returned, my reasoning was two-fold.

I was feeling a bit of nostalgia”—he paused to look at me pointedly— “old age will do that to a man, and two, I wanted to meet the boy who’d taken over in Franco’s stead, so that I could resume my monthly supply pick-up.

Imagine my surprise...” Elias tilted his head back to rinse the shampoo he’d been lathering into his white hair, then he reached for Jacqueline’s conditioner.

“And to answer your third question,” he mused, “why Jacqueline?” Elias sighed thoughtfully as he ran his fingers though the strands of his hair before turning toward me once again. “You aren’t going to like my answer.”

I tensed, bracing myself for whatever bullshit he was about to toss my way.

“She belongs to me, you see; it’s as simple as that.”

My jaw clenched and my hands dropped to my sides, curling into fists. “The blood bond,” I growled, and Eli side-eyed me as he finished rinsing off.

Humans indebted to a vampire through a blood bond could be made to do literally anything , from financial servitude to sexual slavery. The magnitude of what Eli might be planning for my girl twisted my stomach into knots.

I breathed deeply, letting the Jacqueline-scented steam fill my lungs and offer me a sense of calmness, even though it was Elias who now smelled like her.

When I thought I could speak steadily, I asked, “What will you force her to do?”

“Force her?” He scoffed, then laughed heartily.

“I won’t have to force her into anything.

She belongs to me. Her blood calls to mine and mine to hers.

” He narrowed his eyes as he turned off the water.

“You already know I cannot compel her, and I have no doubt that you could scent her arousal in my presence. She’s smitten with me, as I am with her. ”

I snorted. “You’re delusional.” Mockingly, I bowed my head. “Sir.”

“Careful, Vincenzo, or I’ll send you so far from this place she’ll have no choice but to turn to me for comfort.” His smile made my hackles rise. “Behave, and I might continue to share what is rightfully mine.”

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply to keep from lunging for him. I wouldn’t win in a fight against a vampire king, no matter who I’d been in my past life. And I couldn’t do anything that might jeopardize Jacqueline’s wellbeing—or the relationship we’d started to build.

“Now,” Eli said, pulling me back to the present. “I assume you have suitable clothing I could borrow? It’s time for me to be on my way.”

At least we agreed on that.

I dug through the chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of jeans and a hoodie, then tossed them toward Eli, whose lips curled in distaste.

“Many thanks,” he said, though he clearly didn’t mean that. As he dressed, he said, “I’ve initiated my return to the throne, as you now know, and in doing so have abolished the Council of Lords.”

I choked on air, then said, “Abolished?”

“Forgive me, I misspoke. It truly has been such a long day. I have ended three of the five council members. The others, well...” He chuckled. “I don’t expect them to lie down easily, so I’d like to repeat my earlier offer. The girl should come live with me—”

“Not fucking happening.”

Eli stood, and, dressed in my clothing, the vampire king could almost pass for normal.

But those freaky blue eyes were so very clearly not human that maybe normal-adjacent was more like it.

He exhaled dramatically. “If you’d allow me to finish,” he said with a huff, “the offer is extended to you and the boyfriend as well.”

“ Ex -boyfriend,” I clarified.

Eli tilted his head. “Hmm.” After a beat, he added, “Anyway, like I said, the three of you are welcome to join me in the former House of Lords.”

I scoffed. “You’re moving in?”

“Why, yes, obviously.” He clasped my shoulder as he left the bedroom, stopping only briefly to add, “Home is where the throne is, after all.”

Well, I guess I could be grateful he hadn’t decided to move in here .