Marcus slammed my door open.
The sound alone made my body jolt upright before I could stop it. A stack of papers hit my face and slid down into my lap as I blinked in confusion.
"Help me with this."
Of course. That was all I was good for.
I had been forced to help him with things like this for years.
Schoolwork, assignments, anything that required thinking beyond brute force. Marcus was strong, dangerously so, but his vampire instincts didn't stretch into logic or academics.
That part had always been mine.
He stood over me now, impatient and expectant, like I didn't have the right to refuse.
Marcus wasn't just anyone in the bloodline. He was one of Father's enforcers, assigned to discipline vampires who stepped out of line.
I had seen what he did to others, the screams, the broken bodies, the fear that lingered long after he was gone. But for some reason, Father had never let him touch me.
No… that role belonged to him alone.
"I'm too tired… please, tomorrow," I whispered weakly, looking up at him.
"No. Now, Ivy."
His tone snapped like a whip.
My fingers trembled as I picked up the pen. I didn't argue again. There was no point. My eyes moved across the pages, question after question, and like always, my mind supplied the answers instantly. Words formed without effort, solutions unfolding before I even finished reading.
Marcus hovered too close, his presence suffocating, urging me to go faster like I was something he owned.
"Brace yourself, Ivy," he murmured, his voice low with amusement.
My hand stilled.
"By the full moon, your punishment awaits… in front of the whole bloodline."
A cold wave crashed through my chest, stealing the air from my lungs. I didn't look up. I couldn't.
He chuckled softly. "Only pray Father gives me the chance to discipline you after ruining the bloodline's image."
For a moment, everything inside me went still. The full moon. The clan. Public punishment.
I forced my eyes back to the paper, tightening my grip on the pen as I continued writing, pretending I hadn't heard him… pretending I wasn't already imagining what that punishment would look like.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Her voice cut cleanly through the room, calm, controlled, and somehow more dangerous than Marcus's.
He turned immediately, irritation flashing across his face as Seraphina stepped in.
"You're not blind, are you?" he snapped. "Ivy is finishing my school project."
Before I could react, she moved. She took the papers from my hands and pressed them firmly against his chest. The force made him flinch—just slightly, but enough.
"How about you handle your own problems?" she said, her lips curving into a soft, almost pleasant smile.
Marcus blinked, then frowned. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Her smile didn't fade. If anything, it deepened.
"Seraphina, darling. Your new mother," she said lightly. "I presume you didn't miss that piece of information a few weeks ago at the dining table."
The words landed heavily.
Final.
Marcus didn't respond immediately, but something in his expression shifted, irritation sharpening into something more restrained. He didn't push further.
Seraphina didn't wait for him. She turned away from him and looked at me instead, walking closer before sitting beside me with quiet elegance. Her presence felt… warm. Overwhelming.
"Your stepsister needs rest," she said calmly, glancing back at him. "Come now. Go."
My heart jumped. This was dangerous.
"No… it's fine," I said quickly, already reaching for the papers again. "I can handle it."
Because I had to. Because refusing never ended well. Because helping him was safer than what came after disobedience.
My hand stretched forward.
And stopped.
Her fingers wrapped gently around my wrist.
Not tight. Not forceful. But firm enough to stop me completely.
I froze.
She wasn't looking at Marcus.
She was looking at me.
And in that moment, it felt like she saw everything.
The fear I never spoke, the kind that lived too deep to be named. Her grip softened slightly, her thumb brushing over my skin in a slow, grounding motion.
"No," she said quietly.
Just one word. But absolute.
"Get some rest. You look pale."
Marcus exhaled sharply, clearly irritated, but the balance had shifted. With a scoff, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the walls.
I flinched.
Silence followed, heavy and suffocating.
When I turned back, Seraphina was already watching me closely, intently. Something about the way she looked at me made my chest tighten. I dropped my gaze, unsure of what she saw when she looked at me like that.
She moved closer, guiding me gently down onto the bed like I was something fragile.
"Don't be afraid of Marcus," she said softly. "Make him fear you."
The word settled inside me for a moment.
Then she she gently held her neck, that somehow made me guilty.
I wanted to ask how she was feeling after I fed from her. But somehow I held back.
Then she rose and walked toward the door, her movements unhurried and composed. Without looking back, she stepped out and shut it quietly behind her.
****
I didn't realize how long I slept.
When I finally woke, my body felt heavy, unfamiliar, like it didn't fully belong to me yet. For a moment, I lay there staring at the ceiling, until everything came rushing back. the cell, the hunger… her.
I forced myself up and went to the kitchen, joining the helps as they prepared breakfast. The routine steadied me, even if only slightly.
"You finally joined us today, Ivy," the senior help said with a small smile. "Welcome back."
I returned a faint smile and focused on my work.
Soon, breakfast was set. I arranged the table carefully when Father descended the stairs with Seraphina resting against him like she belonged there. They sat. Marcus followed, greeting Father, glaring briefly at Seraphina, then leaving without a word.
"Don't worry, darling," Father said smoothly, kissing her hand. "They'll get used to you."
Layla didn't come down. That alone meant trouble, I knew her too well .
I turned to leave.
"And you, Ivy?"
I stopped.
Seraphina's gaze rested on me. "Why are you dressed like this? Are you not going to college?"
"Ivy is under punishment," Father answered before I could speak.
Then his eyes locked on me.
"Ivy. Count the days. When does the full moon fall?"
My chest tightened.
"Three days, Father."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Good girl. The Velistra bloodline will gather," he said, his voice dropping. "You'd better be ready."