A Love - Bloodbound

“You will love it here, Ivy. Charles is a wonderful man, and this is a fresh start for both of us.He will be like the father you never really had.” The moment the car pulled to a stop in front of the massive mansion's towering doors, Ivy reached for the handle, eager to step out and put solid ground beneath her feet, sick and tired of her mother's gibberish. But just as she did… A massive shadow dropped from the sky. Ivy barely had time to react before a huge black raven came swooping down, talons extended, beak sharp and glinting like a dagger. She gasped, stumbling back into the car, her pulse slamming in her throat.Ivy clutched the edge of the car door, breathing hard. What the hell was that? She glanced at her mother, expecting concern, but her mother was already stepping out of the car, oblivious to the attempted attack. “It is beautiful, isn't it?” her mother sighed, admiring the mansion. “Come on, Ivy,what's taking you so long? ” Ivy hesitated before stepping out, scanning the sky for any sign of the raven. Nothing. But she still felt watched. A strange sensation crawled over her skin, the same way it did when she sensed someone's gaze on her back. She forced a smile. Her mother was finally getting married to the 'man of her dream'.She did not want to spoil her chance at love. Ivy watched the Kingston mansion sprawling, its grand columns and immaculate gardens speaking of old money and power. But there was something else, too. Something older. As if the house itself held secrets, watching her with unseen eyes. Her mother's voice broke the silence as she placed an understanding hand over her slightly shivering shoulder. “ I am sure you will find your share of happiness inside these doors as well, baby! Now let's go inside! ” Ivy forced a smile, but a strange chill crept over her skin, despite the summer heat. As they stepped into the foyer, the grandeur of the Kingston home pressed down further on her. Gleaming marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and art pieces that looked too lifelike. She could not shake the feeling that the painted eyes followed her. Charles Kingston, tall and distinguished with silver threaded hair, welcomed them warmly. His handshake was cool…unnaturally so, even in the air conditioned house. “Welcome home, Ivy,” he said with a distant smile. Home? The word felt foreign on his tongue. And then, she felt'him'before she even saw him. A prickling awareness crawled down her spine as Axel Kingston stepped into view, leaning against the banister at the top of the grand staircase.Charles Kingston's only son and heir, her'soon to be'stepbrother! Tall. Broody. Sinister in a way that shouldn't have been alluring, yet was. His tousled black hair framed his strikingly sharp features, his cheekbones defined like sculpted marble. But it was his eyes that held her still.Stormy gray, like clouds before a thunderstrike, yet too pale, almost silver in the dim lighting. They studied her, absolutely unblinking…the way a predator watches something it hasn't yet decided to chase. “Axel,” Charles called out masking his command with a cheerful tone but Axel knew better. “Come meet your new family.” He descended the stairs taking his sweet time. Ivy's breath hitched…there was something too fluid about the way he moved.It sent a whisper of warning through her veins, though she didn't understand why. When he reached the bottom, he didn't speak right away. Just stood there, staring, as if listening to something she couldn't hear. The air in the room thickened.Then, finally, he smirked. “Welcome,” he drawled with his velvety voice. “This place is too big.Try not to get lost'little sister'.” There was disgust in the way he uttered the last words. His gaze dropped first to her neck, then to her lips. A flicker of something dark crossed his face before it disappeared, replaced by cool indifference. Ivy's pulse jumped. Charles’s phone buzzed right at that very moment, pulling him away. “Duty calls,” he sighed, wrapping one arm around Ivy's mother and walking towards the exit. “Axel, show Ivy to her room, would you?” Axel's expression barely shifted, but for a split second, his lips pressed together…like the idea of being alone with her was a problem. Then, with a lazy flick of his fingers, he turned around. “Follow me.” They walked down the corridor in silence.The air smelled faintly of old books and something else… something with a metallic tang. As Ivy's eyes adjusted to the dim hallway lighting, she noticed the paintings there were different from the ones in the foyer. Darker. They depicted eerie landscapes…moonlit forests, shadowed figures, crimson tinted skies, graveyards and then ravens.She almost stiffened. “This is yours,” Axel said, finally stopping, pushing open a heavy wooden door. Ivy peeked inside. The room looked luxurious, but cold. Almost untouched. The deep mahogany furniture, the heavy drapes, it all reminded her of something ancient, something forgotten. She turned to thank him, but he was already leaning against the doorframe, watching her and she nearly lost balance trying not to bump into him. Ivy thought she saw his silver eyes glow for the split of a second but obviously it must have been the trick of the eye. But then - “You don't belong here.” The words slipped quietly from Axel's lips.It felt like there was something beneath them. A warning? Ivy swallowed, then scoffed with a shrug, trying to regain her nonchalance. “ I am not here by choice, you know . ” “ Neither am I . ” His lips curled slightly . Not a smile. Something else. Something unreadable. “Stay out of my way , and I will stay out of yours. That's the best I can do for you! ” Then, just as silently as he had arrived, Axel disappeared down the hall . Ivy let out a breath she had not realized she was holding . Her skin still prickled . Something like an aftershock of whatever had transpired between them . She hurriedly shut the door, but as she leaned against it , she swore she could still feel his presence lingering .