CHAPTER FIVE
brAN
The sight of her already at the bench sends a thrill through me, similar to how I once felt greeting each new dawn.
Without realizing it, Alexandra has brought a renewed sense of purpose to me.
My desire to make her my mate… or rather my wife as mortals call their female life partners, has given me a reason to wake up and a goal to work towards.
I’ve never given my own happiness much thought until the last few years.
Now I realize that I too deserve to be happy, and when I’m with Alexandra, I’m happy.
“You're here,” I say, not ashamed of the awe treading through my voice.
She bounces up and gives me a grin. “Of course I’m here. I said I would be.” She zips her jacket to her chin and shoves her hands into her pockets.
“I have plans for us tonight. Come on.” She begins walking, not toward the cabin or even the jogging trail, but towards the park entrance.
Falling into step beside her, I take in her pink cheeks, sparkling blue eyes, and her long blond hair caught back in a low ponytail. I like ponytails the best on her and I wonder if I requested that she always wear one if she’d oblige me.
We leave the park and she keeps walking so I do as well. “What kind of plans?”
She turns her head and her grin grows. “You need to get out there and meet people.” She gestures around as we wait at a walkway while noisy, smelly traffic goes by. “Holed up in that cabin or sitting on a bench in the park you’re not going to meet anyone else.”
An irritated huff escapes me as we cross the street to another sidewalk. “I met you. I have no need to meet anyone else.”
Those expressive blue eyes of hers roll upwards as she mutters something quietly under her breath that I can’t quite decipher.
She points down the block to a building with light spilling out of its windows. Noise leaks out every time someone opens the door, and there seems to be more people coming than going. “This is a bar. We're going in.”
I follow her inside and immediately halt as I take everything in.
At once I question humans and the crazy things they build.
This bar consists of low ceilings and thick walls that trap all noises and bounce them back instead of dissipating into the open air the way sound is meant to.
The noise, the heat, the pungent smell of too many bodies in too little space- all of it crowds in until my skin starts prickling with the wrongness of it and I’m only three steps into this place.
Alexandra doesn’t seem to notice how horrid this bar is and seizes my arm, tugging me to get me moving. Reluctantly, I let her lead me. The only good thing about this is the feel of her fingers wrapped around my arm.
She pulls me up to a long counter, people inching aside to make room for us. My gaze moves all around, taking in the low lights throwing everything into shades of red and amber, and all the people smiling, laughing, and milling about.
Behind the counter are several men in tight black t-shirts, grabbing bottles from the shelves behind them and filling glasses with various liquids, which they pass out to everyone waiting at the counter.
The smell reaches my nose, and the bitter scent of alcohol fills my senses.
I don’t partake of alcohol, though I know many of my fellow lords and mythical beings on various planes do. Apparently, Alexandra does as well.
She also doesn't seem bothered in the slightest by the crush of people, the loud music, or the mixture of scents that are making my ears hurt and my nose twitch. Her smile is wide as she shimmies her body to the music, and I can’t help but notice the looks of appreciation on several of the men’s faces that are near us.
My fingers clench and my muscles harden under her fingers that are still holding onto me.
Her gaze drops to my arm, and she gives the muscles a squeeze. “Are you okay?”
I force myself to relax. She wanted to bring me here so I will make the best of my time with her. “The music is a little loud.”
She cocks her head and shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe. You’ll get used to that.”
I doubt that. I would not want to get used to this.
Letting go of my arm, she digs into the front pocket of her jeans and pulls out a bit of paper currency. “What do you want?” she asks, glancing at me.
“Water.”
Alexandra’s laugh cuts through the unpleasant music. I know with the certainty that comes from being older than almost time itself that her laughter is a joyous sound that I cannot do without ever again.
One of the men behind the bar approaches, his gaze going immediately to Alexandra, though he must have an excellent sense of self-preservation because he keeps his gaze firmly on her face, not the tempting swell of her breasts that her now unzipped jacket frame beautifully.
She places our orders and nudges me when our drinks appear.
She grabs hers and moves away from the bar, so I grab mine and follow her.
As we weave through the people, I spot an empty booth before she does, and I head toward it like a man seeking sanctuary. Alexandra follows me, and as we slide into the booth I let out a deep sigh.
“You hate this,” she says with a frown.
I don’t enjoy seeing her frown. “I don't hate it.”
Her frown morphs into a grin. “You look like you're being slowly poisoned.”
There's no point arguing with that, because she's not wrong. The air presses on me from every side, thick with the stench of sweaty people and too little air flow. “The air is bad here. There’s too many people.”
“Welcome to every bar that's ever existed,” she says with a laugh before grabbing her small glass of liquor and downing it in one long, smooth swallow. The glass clinks on the wooden table and then she stands and grabs my hand.
“Come on.”
She pulls me toward the back of the bar where there’s a small space where a handful of couples are moving to the music. I don’t understand how they can find pleasure in this noise, let alone want to dance to it.
Suddenly I’m in the middle of the couples with Alexandra and the horrible music doesn’t matter because she takes my hands placing them on her hips before settling her hands on my shoulders.
Gazing down into her face, the entire world stops.
All that matters is her hands on me and her eyes looking into mine.
I have never danced before, and I’m uncertain if I’m dancing now as we slowly move our feet and bodies. Without thought, I drag her closer to me, her body nestling perfectly against mine as if she were made for me and me alone.
She goes still for half a second, and I know it’s because she can feel the hardness of my erection pressing into her.
I wouldn’t will it away even if I could.
My body hungers for her like the stag needs the doe.
I feel her hands tightening on my shoulders before she grins and looks down toward where our pelvises are pressed. “Hello to you too, Bran.”
Smiling, I rest my cheek on the side of her head, breathing in the sweet smell of her as we keep moving in slow circles while the bar churns around us.
A man sidles up beside us partway through the second song, his hand lifting towards my arm. “Mind if I cut in?”
I don’t say a word; my glare is enough. I’m not the most feared lord in the realm for no reason. I might not have my full powers, but I can still destroy this man if he thinks he’s coming between me and Alexandra.
His mouth opens and closes like a fish on land, and he withdraws his hand before it makes contact, quickly whirling away and charging through the other couples on the dance floor. With smug satisfaction I watch him scurry away before turning my gaze back on Alexandra.
Her pale eyebrows are furrowed as her gaze darts between me and where the other man disappeared. “What was that about?”
“Merely a man who was very confused,” I say smugly as I pull her even closer against me. I may not be a fan of the music, but I enjoy dancing.
“You didn’t even say a single word to him, and he left like his ass was on fire.” Her brows go up as she grins. “That was impressive. Slightly terrifying but damn impressive.”
“Good, I want to impress you,” I say simply.
Her fingers lace together behind my neck, and we dance through another song, and another, until I lose track of everything but her.
She shifts against me and lifts her head, her face very close to mine. “You're not bad at this.”
My gaze zeros in on her lips and how soft and pink they are. “At what?” I whisper back.
“Dancing. Most men step on my feet within the first thirty seconds.”
“I’m not most men.”
She giggles. “That’s right, you’re the Lord of the Woods.”
“I am.”
Alexandra pulls back, the humor leaving her face as she stares deeply into my eyes. Her gaze suddenly flickers to my lips before she stumbles away from me. “We should go.”
Inclining my head, I follow behind her as she hurries through the bar that’s even more crowded than it was when we entered. Funny I didn’t notice the increase in people, scents, or sounds, too caught up in Alexandra being in my arms.
Stepping outside, the night air is sharp and clean, and I draw in a deep breath savoring its freshness. As we walk back to the park, her smile is absent and she keeps her hands tucked into her jacket pockets.
The park is dark and mostly empty by the time we reach it, streetlights throwing long shadows over the grass. Alexandra stops near the entrance and turns to face me.
“Tonight was...” she trails off, her eyes darting to the side.
“Wonderful?” I offer.
Her gaze comes back to me, and I feel as well as see the indecision in their depths. And that is okay, I’m certain enough for both of us.
My right hand reaches out, cupping her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin for the first time.
My cock, which had softened, lengthens and hardens at the contact.
Her eyes follow me as my head dips closer, their dark pupils enlarging the closer I get before the thick fringe of her eyelashes flutter over them as our lips meet.
They are as soft as they look is my first thought, before I stop thinking altogether and my natural instincts take over. I slant my mouth harder against hers as her fingers curl into the front of my jacket.
Sweeping my tongue across her mouth, Alexandra opens to me and I get my first taste of her which ignites a fierce fire of desire that rages through every part of my mortal body. I feel things I’ve never felt before as want and need roar through me.
I groan as her tongue slicks across mine, inviting me to play in a way I’ve never done before. She’s an excellent teacher, and I follow her lead, lost in a fog of desire that I never want to emerge from.
Thrusting my fingers into her warm tresses of blonde hair, I palm her skull as we kiss.
I forget everything. I’m no longer the Lord of the Woods; I’m only a man falling deeply in love with a woman who shines with such inner light that she banishes the darkness in which I’ve been existing in for so long.
Alexandra pulls back first, her breath panting out as her wide eyes stare into mine.
My fingers tighten in her hair to pull her back to me, but her palms shove at my chest and I release her, wincing as my fingers tangle in some strands of her hair and inadvertently pulling them out.
She doesn’t seem to even notice as she backs away from me. “That was a mistake.”
Her voice trembles, and I hear the lie in her words.
“No, it wasn’t,” I say softly.
She backs away another step and lifts a hand to her lips. Lips that are wet and swollen from our kisses. At the sight, I lick my own, tasting her there and craving more.
“There's no future for us, Bran.”
“We can have forever.”
She doesn't answer me, instead, she turns and walks away with her head down.
Frowning, my first instinct is to follow her, but I don’t want a repeat of her pepper spray, and it’s obvious she needs time. “I'll see you tomorrow,” I call out.
She doesn’t respond, just walks faster to where her car is parked.
I stand alone at the entrance to the park long after her taillights have disappeared around the corner.
Licking my lips, I savor her taste and press a hand to my chest where my heart is thudding strong and solid. I’m not a man and outside of this mortal form I do not have a beating heart, yet heart or not, it’s clear that every part of me belongs solely to Alexandra.