The Bride He Hates-Chapter 74: Who Is It?

Lyanna felt panic, but she pushed it down. She hadn’t survived torture and near execution just to lose him now to a healing failure. She thought about what Azrael had done when she was badly wounded, how he had given her his blood to accelerate her healing, how ancient vampire blood could start regeneration in younger vampires.

She thought about their bond, how they were maker and progeny, how his blood ran through her veins.

Without thinking Lyanna bit her own wrist hard enough to open a vein. Younger vampire blood wasn’t as powerful as ancient blood, but it was still supernatural and had healing properties. And more importantly, it was hers. They were bonded, and maybe that mattered more than age or power.

She brought her bleeding wrist to Azrael’s mouth, pressing it against his lips, letting her blood flow onto his tongue.

"Drink." She said. "You gave me eternity by sharing your blood when you turned me. I’m returning the favour. Drink, Azrael. Don’t you dare leave me after we finally found each other."

For a few minutes, nothing happened. Azrael remained unconscious and unresponsive. Then his mouth moved. He began to drink her blood.

"Come back to me. We didn’t survive this much just for you to die now. We have centuries ahead of us, remember? You promised me forever. I’m holding you to that promise." Tears were streaming down her face. "Don’t leave me. I love you. I choose you. I need you. Come back."

Azrael drank from Lyanna’s wrist instinctively. The effect was immediate and visible. Her fresh vampire blood gave him the strength his failing body desperately needed.

The healers watched with interest as his wounds began to heal quickly, and the silver burns were fading. His colour changed from gray to pale and his breathing became regular.

It was the power of the bond between maker and progeny, and the blood connection that tied them together.

"Give them privacy. This is beyond medical science now. This is personal." The healer told others.

They left quietly, leaving Lyanna and Azrael alone in the room. Hours passed. Lyanna stayed beside his bed, holding his hand, feeling the bond between them grow stronger as her blood entered his system.

She was exhausted from the blood loss. Vampires needed to feed to replace what they gave, and she hadn’t fed properly in days but she refused to leave.

As dawn approached, Azrael finally opened his eyes. He looked at Lyanna and smiled.

"You saved me." He muttered. "Again."

Lyanna’s smile was tired but genuine.

"We’re even now. You gave me eternity when you turned me. I gave you blood to reach it. From here on, we’ll survive together. No more saving each other."

Azrael tried to sit up but winced in pain. Lyanna helped him, supporting his back and adjusting pillows. Once he sat, he cupped her face.

"I heard you. While I was... hanging between life and death. I heard you calling me back. Begging me not to leave."

"I wasn’t begging." Lyanna replied with mock indignation. "I was ordering."

His laugh turned into a cough, and she immediately held water to his lips.

"My queen commands and I obey."

"Absolutely."

He pulled her down for a kiss full of gratitude, love and relief that they had both survived against impossible odds.

"I thought I had lost you in the dungeons, when they separated us." Azrael said when they broke apart. "I felt guilty that I couldn’t protect you, couldn’t do anything but hang there in chains like a failure."

"You aren’t a failure. See, we both survived. Everything worked out."

"This time. But next time..."

"Next time we’ll be smarter. We’ll learn from this. But we’ll also keep trying for peace."

Azrael looked at the woman who had been a terrified captive a few months ago, but now had become a strategic equal partner, and who had just saved his life.

"I love you. More than I thought. More than I knew I was capable of feeling."

"I love you too." Lyanna replied. "Now rest. You’re still healing, and I’m exhausted. We’ll have to rest for weeks before we can even think about returning to Thornfield."

They lay on the bed together, and for the first time in weeks, both slept peacefully.

Recovery took longer than they expected. Healing took weeks. The Council of Light’s headquarters had been destroyed. Cardinal Matthias was being held by Shadowmere forces, awaiting trial for violation of diplomatic protocols and committing crimes against vampires.

The conspiracy was exposed to neutral human kingdoms. The Order’s credibility was shattered. The organization was still there, but it was weakened. Public opinion in the human kingdoms was slowly changing.

When they were strong enough to travel short distances, a memorial service was held for the warriors who had died.

And when they were finally healed enough to travel, they began preparing to leave for Thornfield. Two weeks later, they returned to Thornfield to find the castle intact. The Council’s threatened attack had never happened, either it had been a lie to torture Azrael psychologically, or Thornfield’s defenses and allies had stopped it before it reached the castle.

The people celebrated their return with genuine joy.

That night, alone in their chambers for the first time in over a month, Azrael and Lyanna reflected on everything that had happened.

"Months ago, I was a human forced into marriage with a vampire king who hated me. You were using me for revenge, being cruel, making sure I knew I was just property." Lyanna gestured at them. "But now we’re... something else."

Azrael pulled her close.

"Now we’re equals. Two people who somehow built something real from the worst possible situation. But..." His expression turned serious. "There’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve learned about the Covenant."

"What is it?" Lyanna was scared.

"Victor’s intelligence network has finally identified the Covenant’s leadership. It took months of investigation, but he’s sure now. The person coordinating vampire opposition to me, planning internal betrayals, trying to destabilize Thornfield from within..."

He paused, and Lyanna saw genuine fear in his eyes, which frightened her because Azrael rarely showed fear.

"Who is it?" Lyanna asked again.