Bloodlust

Chapter 1

Serephina looked across the dance floor, eyes landing on the target. 

There he was.

Same old brown hair, gray eyes, and shitty attitude. Serephina knew him; she had always known him. By the time she was of age to understand how baby's were made, she was told about him. Nicolas, son of Riam North, heir of the North mansions and castles all over Quinwal. Serephina knew who he was since they studied in the same Academy, and went to the same hang out spots. Yet they never interacted.

He was as cold as ice. And asshole. Jerk, she thought constantly at the mention of his name. Serephina could still remember the time she had been sitting in the bench outside the campus when he had passed with his friends, laughing, barely glazing at her.

Invisible.

That was what she was to him.

"Stop, scowling, Phina."  Serephina snorted, looking sideways at Rohana. Her Aunt dipped back her wine, raising a brow.

"I'm not scowling," Serephina grumbled, tugging down her dress. She ignored the glances thrown her way. Especially the ones thrown her way by her snobby classmates, the ones who were of enough high rank to attend. Ru waved eagerly at her, showcasing her bright, sharp teeth. Her father was half-fae, raised in the forest of the south, which in the eyes of the council made him a symbol to use. This ceremony was the step towards the new age, a brighter one, and everyone should bear witness to it. 

I don't want to bear witness to it, Serephina thought bitterly, sighing loudly.

 "You are, honey. And he will notice," Rohana voiced over her wine.

Serephina shrugged. "I don't care. For all I care he can bite my ass."

Her Aunt snickered. "He might, you know." 

"Shut up," she hissed at her Aunt, a shiver running down her arms. Nicolas...touching her, kissing her...

Gods! The thought made her blood boil.                      

Nicolas suddenly laughed and it boomed around the ballroom. People gazed his way; mostly girls. Serephina rolled her eyes, groaning even louder.

"Gods, Phina! Behave yourself."

"Says the woman who has nearly drank the entire bottle of white wine."

"Hey! You think this is hard for you?" Her eyes bulged out, a side effect from the wine. "I had to raise you. Do you know how hard that was? How much pressure there was? I was watched like a hawk constantly. I couldn't even scream at you. Let alone spank you if you missed behaved." She chuckled darkly. "And trust me: you deserved a lot of spanking." 

Serephina rolled her eyes, I had to watch you like a hawk.

Likewise, she thought. Serephina loved her Aunt, she did truthfully, but her Aunt could be a handful sometimes. She was forty-years old with a youth spirit—too young if you asked her.

"At least, smile. Can you do that?" Rohana winked at a council member who walked by. He turned bright red. Serephina smirked to herself. 

Yes, indeed her Aunt was a handful though she knew how to fix her problem with the council very quickly. Rohana wasn't exactly a sight to the eyes not compared to her mother, people whispered when they thought neither of them were listening. But Serephina had to differ--she thought her Aunt was stunning. She was a very rare beauty. Copper-skin, hazel eyes, thin lips, and rounded hips that she loved to sway every time she took on the dance floor. She used her brown wavy hair to cover the scar that ran from the end of her right brow to the tip of her ear. Rohana had told her that it had been a bear attack, but Serephina knew better. The council knew how to punish incompetence.

"I will smile once this is over," Serephina said. Rohana frowned, clearly giving up. She looked down at Serephina's dress: a pale pink dress edged with little diamonds on the bodice. With little definition on the waist and full length to the feet where she wore white cone heels. Not her favorite but Rohana insisted on them.

"It will give you more height and elegance," she had said while she too finished strapping hers. Rohana wore a mermaid black dress, shaping her waist in a way that made married men look twice. Serephina sighed, deciding that she too needed a drink. She coldly smiled at her Aunt before heading off across the ballroom to the bar. The bartender gasped as he turned to her, his smile disappearing. He was young like her, maybe a year older, probably working here for a part-time job or to presence the ritual. Judging by the look on his face, the lack of excitement of being in her presence minutes before the ritual, meant it was probably the first option.

"I can't serve you and you know it." His voice quivered. He seemed afraid of her--of what it would mean to serve her.

"Do you think I care?" She huffed. "Look dude, I don't know what they told you, but I'm getting bonded today. Do you even understand what that means?"

She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. Hell you don't!

"No. I think you don't know what that means," Serephina continued, temper rising. The bartender cowered, backing away from Serephina, who's closed fist laid on the bar, itching to punch or break something. "Now..." She inhaled, calming herself.  She could feel eyes upon her. "Give me a damn drink." The boy nodded quickly and without even asking permission, he poured her a red drink. She didn't know what it was nor what was in it, but today she didn't care. After pouring her the drink, he slipped back into the kitchen shaking to the bone.

Better leave the country. She wondered what the council would do to him after the ceremony, would they kill him?

"You didn't have to make him coward, you know." Serephina sighed. If it were for her, she wouldn't talk to him until after the ceremony.

Serephina turned to Nicolas, grumbling, "He wouldn't serve me."

Nicolas shook his head, rolling his eyes. "He was given an order."

She snickered. "Oh well, now he'll be given the order to leave the country." She smiled sweetly at him, but the thought of that poor bartender actually having leave the country made her feel ashamed. But she wasn't going to tell him that. Nicolas had never talked to her but Serephina knew it was him before looking. It had been the way the ballroom had shushed down as if a King had entered himself. Everyone wanted to overhear their conversation. The chosen ones interacting before being bonded, what a display for all those who had traveled from far away lands to be in this historical moment marked for life.

Nicolas stared her down, his eyes tracking her every move. Serephina nearly scoffed as he ran his eyes down her body, taking her in. Nicolas was one of the most popular boys in school which led to a lot of hook ups. On contrary's to Serephina's love life, she had never been allowed to date. Rohana was convinced by the Council that Serephina dating would led to wrong impressions. She was to be Nicolas, but it appeared that he wasn't told that he was to be hers.

"You know this blood-bonded shit is a bunch of bullshit, right?" Serephina said.

The corner of his mouth turned up--yet not completely smiling. "We were chosen for this. There hasn't been a couple bloodlusted for decades. This is an honor."

Serephina knew it was. She had always believed it from the moment she knew what it meant. Since a young age, she looked forward to it. To the honor that she would be committing to herself and her Rumion. But for some reason tonight it didn't feel like it. Serephina had know her entire life who her Rumion would be. She acknowledge him but he hadn't and maybe-- just maybe-- that was what made it not feel like an honor.

"It is." She didn't look at him as she walked past him back into the ballroom.

                                                                       ***

A/N: Hey guys! This is my first time ever sharing a story with other people so I hope you liked it and enjoyed it. Please feel free to give some feedback it would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!!

New Chapter every Tuesday!