Page 25 of Claim of Blood (Blood Bound #1)

The copper-haired vampire straightened, composing his features into a mask of civility, though the hostility in his eyes remained undimmed. “Enjoy your time here, hunter. Some of us will be watching with great interest.” With a stiff nod to Lander, he turned and walked away.

Marguerite rolled her eyes from her table. “Ignore him,” she said, raising her glass in a mock toast. “When the Court denied them sanctuary, they kept draining college students, anyway.” She shook her head. “The hunters simply finished what our Court had already begun.”

As they sipped their drinks, Leo noticed several shifters among the patrons, also drinking red-tinged beverages.

“The shifters drink blood, too?”

“Some do. It’s not a requirement for them, as it is for us, but many enjoy it. Particularly after a shift—it helps replenish their systems.”

Leo studied the casual way everyone consumed their various drinks. “So why do vampires need blood, anyway? What does it actually do for you?”

Lander lifted his cup, considering. “From what I understand, it’s primarily for the vitamin D.”

Leo blinked. “You’re serious?”

Lander’s mouth curved. “That’s one theory. Without sunlight, we can’t produce vitamin D naturally, so we take it from those who walk in the sun.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I thought so too,” Lander admitted. “But it’s the best explanation any researcher has offered. The truth is, no one fully knows why we need it. Only that we do.”

Leo finished his coffee, the idea making him smile despite himself. For all the extensive records the hunters kept, they’d never questioned why vampires drank blood.

They left the café, and as they walked, Leo caught curious glances, some openly hostile, others merely wary. He realized that his safety depended not on acceptance, but on Adam’s authority.

They continued into the deeper halls of the underground complex, past more alcoves where Court members gathered in low conversation. A few nodded politely to Lander. Others simply stared.

“In here,” Lander said as they stepped into a larger open space.

The recreation area buzzed with life. Vampires and shifters played pool, while others occupied VR stations along the far wall.

Leo’s gaze snagged on a tall, broad-shouldered man with blond hair. For a moment, he struggled to place the face, then memory flashed. The Council chamber. The weight of a hand pinning him to a table.

“Nathaniel Warren,” he said, his voice low.

Lander nodded. “You remember.”

“Vaguely. Everything from that night is...blurry.”

As if sensing them, Nathaniel looked up. His nostrils flared. Recognition flickered across his face, followed by amusement.

“Well, well. The hunter returns, fully clothed this time.” He set down his pool cue and walked over. “Last I saw you, you were naked, reeking of fresh claiming, and hooked up to IV bags.” His grin was feral. “You smell more settled now.”

Leo felt heat crawl up his neck. “And you still smell like wet dog.”

A tense heartbeat passed before Nathaniel’s laugh broke the silence, deep and genuine. “He’s got teeth! Good. You’ll need them.” The shifter glanced at Lander. “Adam left you as babysitter?”

“Guide,” Lander corrected. “And yes.”

Nathaniel looked back at Leo. “Word of advice. Your claiming stirred things up. Some see it as protection, a sign Adam won’t tolerate attacks. Others see it as provocation.”

“I didn’t ask to be claimed,” Leo said, voice sharper than he intended.

“Nobody asks for fate,” Nathaniel replied.

“But you’re part of the Court’s politics now, whether you want it or not.

” He gestured toward a group of younger vampires watching from the corner.

“The modern faction sees you as progress. The traditionalists see you as contamination.” He picked up his cue again.

“Figure out which allies you need before you need them.”

As they moved on, Leo whispered, “There are factions?”

“Of course. Any society as old as ours develops political divisions. The younger vampires want more integration with human society. The older generation prefers separation and tradition.” He paused. “Your claiming has become symbolic to both sides.”

“Great,” Leo muttered. “I’m a political football.”

Lander’s lips quirked. “More like a living referendum.”

“That’s so much better.”

Further along, they passed more intimate gathering spaces—rooms with just fireplaces and comfortable couches, designed for quiet conversation.

“And this,” Lander said as they entered another large space, “is our bar. It’s closed at the moment.”

The space featured a well-appointed bar along one wall and a small, yet elegant, dance floor in the center.

“Most Court members prefer to go into Porte du Coeur proper for entertainment,” Lander explained. “But sometimes it’s nice not to make the drive.”

Further on, he showed Leo a gym with specialized equipment. “Designed for vampire physiology,” he said.

Leo couldn’t help being impressed by the scope of it all. “How many people live down here?”

“How many people live down here?” Leo asked.

“Live? None permanently. However, there are quarters available to host thirty guests if needed. The Court and shifter pack live throughout Innsbrook or elsewhere in PDC. And between both guest wings of the mansion, which each have twelve rooms, and the many houses of Court, the rooms down here haven’t been used to date. ”

They paused before a wall of photographs documenting Porte du Coeur’s evolution. While some were clearly professional historical photographs, others appeared more personal, candid moments of Court members throughout the decades.

“Is that Adam?” Leo asked, pointing to a black-and-white image that appeared to be from the 1920s. Adam stood beside a Model T, dressed impeccably in period attire, his arm around a young woman Leo didn’t recognize.

“Yes, with Isabella.” Lander’s voice softened. “The ninth child of Merytre—Adam’s sister, in our unique family structure. She died recently.”

Leo remembered the name from his family’s incomplete records. “The revolutionary?”

Lander looked surprised. “You know of her?”

“Bits and pieces. She operated in South America, established a vampire presence there after the colonial period.” Leo studied the photograph more carefully. “The records said she died fighting hunters.”

“She did,” came a voice from behind them. Leo turned to see a woman dressed in a tailored suit, her dark hair pulled back in a severe bun. “I’m Ilona, Court Ambassador. In case you forgot.”

Leo stared at her for a moment, trying to place her in his hazy memories of that chaotic night at the Council. Suddenly, recognition clicked. “My shirt! You shredded it instead of giving it back!”

A hint of amusement flickered across her severe features. “Consider it a small price to pay for your current accommodations.”

“Adam gave me my accommodations,” Leo replied, somewhat defensively.

“Hmm, yes. He did,” Ilona said, her tone carefully neutral but her eyes assessing him with renewed interest.

“What time are you leaving for New Orleans?” Lander asked, smoothly redirecting the conversation.

“This evening. I would have departed days ago, but...” Her eyes flickered deliberately to Leo, “Unexpected developments required my presence here longer than expected.” A subtle emphasis on ‘unexpected’ made her meaning clear without explicitly mentioning the claim.

“I’m making the rounds of my farewells now,” she added, turning back to the photographs on the wall.

She approached one, touching it lightly.

“Isabella died protecting younger vampires in her territory. Hunters had targeted them specifically—new turnings, barely past their first decade. Too young to properly defend themselves.” Her eyes met Leo’s, challenging.

“Does your family’s record mention that part? That they targeted children?”

Leo felt heat rise in his face. “They weren’t children—”

“They were to us,” Lander interjected gently.

Ilona’s expression hardened. “The hunters attacked during Carnival, when the Court would be dispersed, celebrating. Thirty-seven young ones, gone in a single night.”

“I didn’t know,” Leo admitted.

“Now you do,” Ilona said. Her gaze softened fractionally. “Memory is long here. Isabella’s death hurt Adam more than you could imagine.”

As she walked away, Leo stared at the photograph, seeing Adam’s smile in a new light—the affectionate expression of someone sharing centuries of history rather than the predatory smirk hunters had always described.

Leo continued along the wall, seeing the Court’s history unfold in photographs—Adam and his inner circle throughout decades, their clothing and surroundings changing while they remained unchanged. He realized how much history they had witnessed, how many losses they had endured.

“How long have you been with Adam?” Leo asked.

“Since he established himself in Porte du Coeur in the early 1900s,” Lander replied.

“And before that?”

“I was with Erik’s court in Copenhagen.”

Leo recognized the name from his family’s records. Another first-generation vampire. “Why the change?”

Lander hesitated. “Adam leads with a pragmatism that suited me better.”

There was more to the story, Leo suspected, but he decided not to prod.

They turned a corner. Leo nearly collided with Lander when he stopped short to avoid a pair of shifters. Their proximity sparked that same quiet pull. Less than Adam’s, but real.

“You feel it too,” Leo said, not a question.

“Yes.”

“What does it mean?”

“Blood compatibility isn’t binary. There are... degrees.” Lander resumed walking, maintaining that careful distance. “With Adam, yours is exceptionally strong. With me, it’s merely a whisper.”

Leo absorbed that. “Isn’t it strange Adam assigned you to me, given... everything?”

Lander’s expression remained carefully neutral as they entered a quieter corridor. “I wondered about that myself.”

They reached an elevator that Leo hadn’t noticed during their initial descent. Lander pressed the call button.

“This leads directly to the main house,” he explained.

As the doors opened on the second floor, Leo saw Adam’s office across the hall. The door stood open, but the room was empty.

“When will he be back?” Leo asked, trying to sound casual.

“Soon,” Lander said. “He asked me to inform him when you turned in for the night.”

Adam was giving him space, deliberately staying away. The realization provoked a mess of conflicting emotions.

They ate dinner in a smaller dining room, joined by Gaspard, who chatted amiably about art collections and the upcoming renovation of the east garden. Maja remained conspicuously absent.

As they finished their meal, Leo heard the distant sound of a car approaching.

“Adam,” Lander confirmed, noticing Leo’s attention shift.

Leo’s heartbeat quickened as he pushed back from the table. “I think I’ll turn in.”

Lander’s knowing look made Leo flush, but the vampire merely nodded. “I’ll show you back to your room.”

They were halfway up when the front door opened. Leo felt Adam’s presence. Heavy. Magnetic. His gaze met Leo’s across the foyer.

For a moment, neither moved. Leo felt the pull, the desire to descend the stairs and close the distance between them. Adam’s expression reflected a similar struggle, his body angled toward Leo.

Instead, Leo turned and continued up the stairs. Lander remained silent as they reached Leo’s door.

“Thank you,” Leo said stiffly, “for the tour.”

“Of course.”

Inside, Leo went straight to the window. He pressed his forehead against the glass, watching night swallow the gardens. He could feel Adam’s presence somewhere below, a hum beneath his skin.

Leo pressed his forehead against the cool glass, closing his eyes. For the first time since his family disappeared, he felt truly alone.