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 car's tires screeched against the pavement as Xavier maneuvered them through the winding roads, every turn swallowing them deeper into the night. The city lights dimmed behind them, swallowed by an expanse of darkened forests and open road.

Helena's fingers curled into her lap, her pulse an erratic rhythm beneath her skin. She had made her choice—chosen to trust him, to follow him—but the fear still clung to her, whispering doubts into the corners of her mind.

A brother willing to kill for power.

Her life had become something out of the ancient texts she had once pored over in Xavier's vast library—except this time, she was the story's centerpiece.

She turned to Xavier, watching the way his jaw clenched, the way his grip tightened on the steering wheel as if he was restraining himself.

"You said your brother needs my blood," Helena finally spoke, her voice breaking the heavy silence. "But why mine? What makes me so important?"

Xavier inhaled sharply, his fingers flexing before he exhaled through his nose. "Because your blood isn't ordinary, Helena."

She stiffened. "What does that mean?"

For a long moment, he didn't answer. The headlights carved through the darkness, illuminating the empty road ahead.

Then, finally— "It means you're not just human."

Her vision blurred for a moment as she processed his words. "Not human?" She shook her head. "That's— that's impossible. I've been human my entire life. I've never—"

She stopped herself. The dreams. The whispers in the villa. The way she had always felt out of place, as if something inside her was waiting—lurking.

Xavier stole a glance at her, his eyes filled with something she couldn't decipher. "Have you ever experienced something you couldn't explain? Something unnatural?"

Her mind reeled back to the dream—the voice that had whispered to her in the library, telling her to embrace her destiny.

"I don't know," she murmured, but the answer felt like a lie.

Xavier's jaw tightened. "We'll figure it out at the safehouse. For now, just know that my brother believes you're the key to unlocking something ancient. And he will come for you."

The trees blurred past them in streaks of black and gray, the road ahead stretching into the unknown. Helena clenched her fists, her fear mixing with something else—something burning in her veins.

If her blood truly held power, then she wouldn't be just prey.

And she intended to find out exactly what that meant.

Into the shadows