A blood bond

Elias released his hold on her wrists and cupped her small, pale face in his large hands. "I won't let you become a ghoul." He used his thumb to wipe the tears from her eyes, "I promise."

"Well, aren't the both of you cute," Amaira heard the unfamiliar, masculine voice again and she turned her head in the direction of the voice.

On the hospital bed, looking down at them with a silly smile was a person she's never seen or met before. This person exuded the radiance of a youthful man, but his hair was grey and there were small wrinkles lining the corners of his lips and the sides of his purple eyes.

'Who's he?' Amaira thought. She subconsciously reached up to touch her neck when she felt discomfort there and winced before withdrawing her fingers which were now stained with her blood. "What the hell?" she muttered.

Elias slapped her hand away when she reached to touch the pattern on her neck again. "Don't touch that."