Chapter 21
Acheron
"Am I one of you?"
I glanced at Alice in surprise. She was sitting in our room, her legs bent and her arms wrapped around her knees.
The urge to go to her, to gather her in my arms, was overpowering.
I had to actively fight against my baser instinct in order to give her the space to process all that had occurred.
Usually, I would not be so generous or patient, but I had waited so long for Alice, and now that she was finally in my home, I did not want anything to upset her.
She had been through so much: assaulted by Vladimir, watched both of us morph into something she no doubt thought was fiction, witnessed his beheading, and then woke up somewhere foreign…some place she remembered in her dreams.
Christ, I knew she dreamed of me, but I could never have imagined that she dreamed of me in that way. That she and I had a whole other life where we were together. I wished I'd experienced her visions in the same way.
"You mean a Vampire?" I bluntly clarified.
Her face blanched, and my keen hearing heard her breath hitch. Her seductive scent morphed into one of fear…a worry about the unknown. I could have been more sensitive in my approach, but it was best to face these truths head-on.
Alice slowly exhaled before nodding. My brave mate.
"No. But you are a descendant of a powerful pair of royal mated Vampires. Their blood runs through you, latent but strong. It is how it is possible that you are mated to me, a powerful King."
Her eyes grew wider the longer I spoke, her mouth dropping open. "Are they still alive?" She shook her head, frowning. "Or…is it undead?"
My lip curled before I censured my amusement. "No." I gave her a brief rundown of our history. I described how we used to hunt and kill humans until the Treaty was put in place.
"King Artemis and Queen Sarai were the first bonded royal pair. They helped spearhead the Treaty of ManKind. It forbids the murder of humans for blood. Now, we tend to either stick to our own kind or frequent blood banks and clubs that take bagged or live donations."
"Live?"
"There are a few humans who consent to it. They are like a modern version of a Familiar, as you call it, although we do have special powers that can glamour them; that is, bend their minds so they see and hear what we want them to."
Her head jerked up. "Is that what you did with me?"
My lips twitched at her question and the desperate glint in her eye.
Ah, yes, that would certainly be an easy explanation for her, wouldn't it?
A reason why her body and mind craved me and my touch.
Why she couldn't settle with her poor human husband; why her thoughts—both waking and sleeping—turned to a man she had not met.
If only this could all be smoothed away neatly by way of mind control.
"If you are asking me whether I hypnotized you into wanting me, into craving me, into fantasizing about me while your husband slept clueless beside you, then the answer is no. I am sorry to disappoint you, sweet Alice, but you feel that desire for me on your own."
Pink touched her cheeks, and I almost groaned in need. I longed to see that shade on other parts of her body.
"Does the bite hurt them?" she quietly asked.
I liked that my mate did not speak in riddles. She knew what she wanted to ask and did not mince her words. I shook my head. "On the contrary, it is quite a pleasurable experience for them. Or so I've been told. And seen."
Her little nostrils flared, and I stifled a smile. My little Queen had a jealous streak.
"Didn't you experience the same in your memories of us?" I boldly pushed, already knowing her response.
Again, that endearing blush painted her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. "Yes. B‐but I was…one of you in my dreams. Or whatever they were. I wasn't sure if the-the feeling would be the same for humans."
My eyes widened in surprise. She had not mentioned this when my Elders were present. "You were a Vampire in our world? Interesting."
It could have something to do with who she shared her blood with. I'd already seen her full DNA profile, and she was definitely a human. Mortal and fragile.
"So, how did King…sorry, what was my ancestor's name again?"
"King Artemis and Queen Sarai."
She nodded. "Right. How did they die?"
"As we explained, we have seven Kings who rule seven Territories.
The Treaty, spearheaded by King Artemis, was signed by all sitting Kings at the time.
Unfortunately, not everyone agreed. A rebel group called the BloodKin quickly formed.
They considered humans beneath them and refused to conform to the new law.
They went underground and continued killing humans.
Their leader, Vladimir, grew more unhinged as the centuries wore on—especially when a lot of their members were killed or defected with the changing world.
They went quiet for many years. Until recently. "
Her head snapped up. "The Vampire Slayer killings. On the news. That's them, isn't it?"
I nodded.
"Wait. Does law enforcement know that it's actual Vampires—"
"No. The nickname is an unfortunate coincidence. The BloodKin drained each body of blood and left behind puncture wounds."
Her hand shook as she covered her mouth. "My god."
"King Artemis and Queen Sarai were betrayed by insiders who let the BloodKin into the castle.
Their whole family was brutally murdered, including their children.
Or so we thought. The youngest was smuggled out before the attack and hidden in the human world.
You're a descendant of him. He married a human, and soon his blood was diluted down so that all power eventually faded away. "
She nodded slowly, her expression dazed. "I…see. Sorry, this is all so wild to me. So unbelievable." She shook her head. “But at the same time, I know you're telling the truth."
Her eyes wandered around the room, her mind deep in thought.
While she studied her new surroundings, my starved eyes greedily drank her in.
Her hair was slightly mussed from nervous fingers running through it.
Her green eyes were tired, and dark purplish circles stood out beneath them.
Her skin was pale and her body weary with emotional upheaval.
The air stung with the swirl of trauma and confusion, her feelings intensely felt by me now that I had her nearby.
And yet…despite her sunken, red-rimmed eyes and her ghostly pallor, my Alice was still the most desirable woman I had ever seen. It was a great effort to be near her, to answer her questions matter-of-factly, when all I longed to do was take care of her.
Yes, I wanted to throw her across the bed and completely ravish her, but more than that, I wanted to comfort her.
I wanted to gather her long locks in my hands and brush each strand.
I wanted to run a bath for her with our finest oils.
I wanted to lift her into my arms and sink into the warm depths with her nestled on my lap.
I wanted to hold her close and promise her that she would never be alone again. That she had found her home in me.
"What happened to their Kingdom?" Alice asked, pulling me from my fantasies.
I forced my mind away from Alice's naked, wet body. "Now it is run by King Damon. A close friend of mine. Before him, his father ruled after his brother, King Artemis, died."
"So…that Vampire who tried to hurt me.” Her fear cloaked the air, and I could sense her recalling the feel of Vladimir's fingers gripping her neck. "He was part of the BloodKin?"
"Not just part of it, Alice. He was Vladimir."
Her mouth dropped open. "He was the leader? But why was he after me? Because he wanted you?"
I shook my head regrettably. "No. It was you he was after.
King Artemis and Queen Sarai were the first recorded royal mated pair.
Bond-mated, which is different from a chosen mate.
Together, they would have been powerful.
There has never been another royal bond-mated pair since. Until me. Until us."
The implication was heavy, the weight of what we were, what she meant to me, hung unsaid between us. I could sense her pulse drum faster. Nerves? Excitement? Pride? Yes, all three, I smugly noted.
"So the threat's over, right? The BloodKin are destroyed now that their leader is killed?"
I paused, my brow knitting together. "It…appears so." I couldn't quite put my finger on why my guard was still up. Something about the whole ordeal felt odd.
"And…my husband?"
I stiffened, offended that she dared to mention him. "He is not your husband."
Her eyes flashed in defiance. "This says otherwise." She lifted her hand to show a bare finger. She did a double take, and my offense abated when I realized that she had not even noticed they were missing. "Hey! Where the hell are my rings?"
My gaze went to the fireplace.
She gasped and stood, knocking back her chair. "You bastard! Those were my rings."
I leaned back in my chair, uncaring that she was upset over some cheap trinket. "Do not worry. I will get you new ones. Ones worthy of a Queen."
She gave an indignant little scream. "You had no right!"
I lifted my shoulder carelessly.
Her nostrils flared as she stared me down, her chest puffing out quickly. "I need to see David."
That killed my satisfaction. I glowered at her. "No."
"We're still married," she gritted out.
"In the human world. Here, we do not adhere to such rules. Once I mark you, you'll be mine."
She opened her mouth before quickly closing it again. I knew she wanted to question my last remark but thought twice. "I need to talk to him. I‐I hurt him so much. I can't just disappear on him. Please," she begged.
My need to protect her warred with my desire to grant her every wish. "It is not safe."
"But Vladimir's dead. He was the one seeking me, right?”
I rolled my lips in. Yes, it did appear that the threat had been neutralized. And yet…"I'll think about it," was all I could promise her.