Kikelomo_Odusola_7017

After tragically losing her parents in a car accident, Helena is taken in by her Aunt Agatha. But instead of finding comfort and support in her new home, Helena is met with cruelty and neglect. Her only source of solace is her kind Uncle James, but when he unexpectedly passes away, Helena is left alone to endure her aunt's abuse and her cousin Elizabeth's taunts.
  Meanwhile, a new student named Xavier joins Helena's class at school. Unbeknownst to Helena, Xavier is a vampire, and his elder brother, a powerful vampire leader, discovers that Helena's blood possesses unique properties that could benefit their kind.
  Xavier, drawn to Helena's quiet strength and the pain hidden behind her eyes, becomes determined to help her find a way out of her difficult situation and discover the true meaning of family and love. As they grow closer, Xavier realizes he must protect Helena from his brother's dark intentions.
Despite the dangers posed by Xavier's vampire identity and his brother's obsession with Helena's blood, the two find themselves falling for each other, embarking on a forbidden romance that could have deadly consequences.
  Together, Helena and Xavier navigate the challenges of adolescence, grapple with their troubled pasts, and learn to rely on each other as they search for a brighter future."With danger and darkness closing in around them, one question remains: will their love for each other be enough to overcome the obstacles they face, or will their forbidden romance ultimately be their downfall?"

BLOODBOUND HEART

The night air was thick with tension, the dim glow of streetlamps barely piercing the suffocating darkness. Helena's pulse thundered in her ears as she stood frozen, trapped between the past she had fled from and the man she could no longer trust.

She had run from him, desperate to escape the lies, the deception, the terrifying truth of what he was. But here he was again—finding her, chasing her—like a predator who always knew where its prey would go.

His eyes, still burning with that unnatural intensity, held no malice. No hunger. Only urgency.

"Helena, I know you're scared," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it cut through the silence like a blade. "But I need you to listen."

Her fists clenched. "Listen?" She let out a sharp laugh, but it was hollow, bitter. "You want me to listen after you spent all this time lying to me? After I saw—" She swallowed, as if saying it out loud would make it more real. "What you are?"

Xavier flinched but held his ground.

"I lied to protect you," he admitted, his voice raw with something she couldn't quite name. "And I was wrong. But if you run now, you're not running from me—you're running straight into the hands of someone far worse."

"My brother—he's coming for you. Your blood is the key to an ancient ritual that would grant him unimaginable power. I couldn't tell you the truth before because I was afraid you'd run." His jaw tightened. "But now, I need you to trust me. I can protect you, but we have to go now."

Helena's breath came in shallow gasps.

This was insane. All of it. The boy she had once thought was merely distant, merely mysterious, was not human. And now he was telling her that her blood—something so ordinary, so human—was at the heart of something dark and ancient.

She should do anything but stand here, staring at him, her heart caught between fear and something else.

Something that whispered, he hasn't hurt you. He saved you before. What if he's telling the truth?

"How do I know this isn't just another lie?" she demanded, her voice sharper than she felt. "How do I know you're not the one I should be running from?"

Xavier's expression was unreadable for a long moment. Then, he did something she didn't expect.

"If you want to run," he said, his voice quiet but firm, "I won't stop you."

"But if you want answers—if you want to survive—then come with me. Right now."

The weight of his words pressed against her like an unseen force.

Run into the unknown, alone… or step into a darkness she didn't understand, with the one person who had already proven he would chase her anywhere.

Her fingers curled around the strap of her bag, heart hammering.

Run or Trust