Chapter 44 – Alex
Chapter Forty-Four
ALEX
Sera is fast asleep next to me. Knowing I wore her out so thoroughly is the absolute best feeling. My body hums with energy, and I don’t know that I could sleep if I wanted to. Perhaps it’s a side effect of my transformation. For now, I will lie here, enjoying my mate being wrapped around me.
The gift of her blood was a surprise but also felt completely right. I don’t know what exactly the goddess put in the tonic, but I will forever be grateful not to be consumed by bloodlust and being able to drink my mate’s blood without hurting her or taking too much.
A pounding on the main door of the suite startles me, and I jump out of bed, once again surprised at the speed with which I can move.
This will never get old. I pull on a loose pair of pants and grab one of the fae-style wrap tunics and make my way to the door.
Sera is still fast asleep, and I’m not going to wake her unless it’s a godsdamned emergency.
The pounding continues, and a familiar voice yells, “Alex? Sera? Where the hells are you?”
In a flash, I’m at the door, swinging it open, eyes wide. “Kian?”
“Alex!” he cries out, throwing his arms around me in the biggest hug.
I squeeze him back, restraining myself enough to not break any bones, but damn, it’s good to see my friend. I peek over his shoulder and spy Raelyn standing behind him, glowing radiantly.
“Rae!” I call out, and Kian lets go, allowing me to pull her into a gentle hug too.
“Gods, Alex, what in the hells happened to you?” Rae asks. “You smell different, feel different.”
Kian looks at me with concern. “What’s going on? This whole kingdom appears to be in turmoil, and we had to demand they let us see you. I was half convinced you were dead or in a dungeon somewhere.”
“Well, I was,” I say nonchalantly.
“Spill. Now,” Kian demands.
Rae sniffs the air and grimaces. “Gods, it smells like sex and blood in here. Is someone hurt?”
Kian laughs and punches my shoulder. “You finally got the girl, didn’t you?”
I can’t hold back the grin, showing off my fangs. “No one is hurt, Rae, and yes, yes, I did.”
“Let’s go back to the part where you died and were in a dungeon?” Rae demands before her gaze narrows in on my teeth. “Wait . . . Alex, are you a vampire?”
“Sort of,” I say with a shrug.
Kian’s eyes practically bug out of his face as he turns to fully examine me again. I grin widely once more, and he spies my fangs.
“Rae doesn’t have fangs,” he says almost sadly.
“Jealous?” I tease.
“Kind of. I’ve always wanted her to bite me, but we have to use a stupid blade.”
I groan, palming my face. “Kian, I love you to death, but Rae is my friend too and I do not want to know about your preferences in the bedroom. Ever.”
“Well I can smell yours,” Rae says, wrinkling her nose again.
Oh that the floor would open and swallow me whole.
“Rae?” Sera’s sleepy voice breaks the tension. Thank the gods.
“Sera!” Rae squeals, running over and throwing her arms around her. “How dare you not tell me you’re an actual princess here?”
Kian shakes his head. “My father would absolutely lose it if he knew a royal from Lunesai has been working in the palace as a lady’s maid.”
“To be fair, I had no idea if I’d ever return home,” Sera says. “It’s not like the pathways between realms were open.”
“Are they open now?” I ask, looking from Rae to Kian.
“It’s complicated,” Rae and Kian say in tandem.
“That wasn’t creepy at all,” Sera remarks, squeezing Rae in another hug.
“I’m sure Alex and you will be in sync in no time, especially with how things smell around here,” Rae teases.
Sera looks utterly mortified. “I need to bathe.”
“Probably a good idea.” Rae winks.
“Now that we know you’re both alive—” Kian pauses and looks at me. “Sort of—”
“Ki!” Rae chastises.
“You two get cleaned up and then we can reconvene,” Kian finishes.
“So bossy,” Sera quips. “This isn’t even your damned kingdom.”
Kian throws her a charming grin. “Apologies, princess.”
“Gods, you’re insufferable,” Sera groans.
Rae gives Kian a look and shuffles him toward the door while speaking over her shoulder. “Your people have been incredibly accommodating, except for the not letting us see you right away part. I’m sure they can find us somewhere to rest while you two clean up.”
“See you soon,” Sera calls out.
When the door closes, I turn to look at Sera, and her face is completely flushed. In a flash, I’m at her side, kissing her tempting lips and crushing her body into mine. “Do you think there’s time . . .”
Sera reaches between us and slips her hands into the front of my pants. Well, that answers my question.
An hour later, one of the palace maids escorts us to a guest wing on the other side of the palace.
Kian and Rae are seated on the large veranda attached to their room, soaking in the late afternoon sunlight.
I instinctively want to avoid the bright daylight, but no, the tonic is supposed to protect me.
“Come join us. It’s incredible out here,” Rae calls to us, waving. “It’s way too warm back home. I am loving this climate.”
“It is quite beautiful here,” I say, plopping down onto a settee across from them.
“Not going to burst into flames, Alex?” Kian asks.
I give him a wry look. “Oh, so you invited me out here to see what would happen?”
“Gods!” Rae exclaims. “I apologize. I didn’t even think.”
I wave her off. “I had a meeting with a goddess who gave me a boon. It protects me from the suns, amongst other things.”
“Well that’s certainly fortunate,” Rae says. “I wonder if I’ve met her.”
“She’s the protector of Lunesai,” I explain. “I don’t know if she travels much to other realms.”
“The goddess you met was the Mother?” Sera gasps, smacking my shoulder. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“I was a little distracted by how good you smelled,” I say with a wink, raising my hands in defense. “She looked like an earth goddess.”
“So you’re a believer now,” Kian remarks with a grin.
I scoff. “We all know the gods have their own agendas, but perhaps some aren’t so bad.”
“How magnanimous,” Rae quips.
“You don’t count, baby goddess,” I tease.
“Just wait. I can still smite you if I wish.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Sera says protectively.
Rae laughs. “You’re safe for now, Alex. Just try not to piss off the Mother. You wouldn’t want her to take back her gift.”
“Fair enough.”
“I would like to know why it took you so long to come after us,” Sera says.
Kian frowns. “It was hardly long. We only saw you disappear into the portal maybe six days ago?”
Rae nods. “It took me a few days to replenish my strength, and then I had to deal with angry gods before I could open a new one.”
“Interesting,” Sera says. “We’ve been here for over two weeks now. I knew time moves differently, but I wasn’t sure what the exact formula was.”
“We do apologize for making you wait,” Rae says. “I hope it didn’t cause you too much trouble.”
“It’s nothing we couldn’t handle,” Sera says with a serene smile.
Understatement of the year, but she’s right. We’re still here and we’re finally together.
The rest of the afternoon and evening is spent catching up.
A sumptuous dinner is served, and while I nibble on a few things, I primarily consume blood.
Other than that, it feels oddly normal to spend time with our friends, especially without a curse hanging over our heads.
Sera’s bright laughter and shining eyes fill me with hope for a future with her that I had almost given up on.
“Will you return home?” Rae asks hopefully.
Sera looks down before turning her gaze toward mine. I smile encouragingly. “I’m going to stay here as long as my sister needs me, and then who knows?” She shrugs.
“I’ll miss you terribly,” Rae says.
“No other lady’s maid good enough for you?” Sera teases.
“Don’t even start with me.” Rae laughs. “You have always been more than my lady’s maid. You’re my dearest friend.”
Kian groans and stretches his arms overhead. “Not sure how you expect me to explain to Ambassador Grey that his son went and traveled to another realm only to die and come back a vampire and then decided to stay there indefinitely.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out, but I can send a letter with you as well. I definitely owe him an apology for how I’ve acted.” I think back to what they said when we first saw them. “You said the realms are sort of open? What exactly does that mean?”
“Oh yes, and you mentioned angry gods?” Sera chimes in.
“Most of the gods weren’t happy with Rae opening the portal between realms,” Kian says, brushing a hand through his thick hair. “While Rae was recovering her power, we might have had a visit from some of them.”
“Damn, Rae. Causing trouble as a baby goddess already?” I tease.
Rae rolls her eyes. “The gods are concerned about the ramifications of reopening realms. It hasn’t been done in so long, they’d come to the belief it was best for the realms to be left untouched. Can you imagine the repercussions of say, a race of hungry vampires descending upon Rakveren?”
I fold my arms across my chest, leaning back in my seat. “I’m fairly certain I’m the only one left in this realm, and as you can see I’m not exactly lunging for your throat.”
Rae laughs. “True, but I do wonder if it’s better not to reopen things that have long been shut.
It’s not been fully decided yet. There is to be some kind of council meeting of the gods to determine how exactly to move forward, but they also realize it’s nearly impossible to unring a bell so to speak.
For better or worse, the pathway between the forsaken realm and Lunesai has been reopened . . . in a less volatile location.”
“So you didn’t need to travel via lake portal?” Sera asks. “I’d rather not encounter that beast ever again.”
“Thank the gods, no.” Rae grins. “Since the damage was done, one of the gods helped me open a more stable portal a little closer to home. They were sympathetic to our cause, unlike some of the others. There’s another convergence point in an abandoned temple that wasn’t on our map.”
“Did you fall through trees?” I ask.
Kian frowns. “No. Why in the realms would we have done that?”
Sera bites her lip to keep from laughing, and I shake my head. “No reason.”
“While our realms are unofficially connected, it’s probably for the best to keep it quiet,” Rae says.
Kian pipes in, “I’m honestly not sure I want my father knowing this realm is easily accessible. Gods only know what kind of trouble he could stir up.”
“I’d recommend guards be stationed near the portal to prevent unwanted visitors until we can sort everything,” Rae says.
“Is it bad that I’m grateful it will be Gabriella’s problem to figure all this out?” Sera asks. “Realm politics sound like a nightmare.”
I run my hand along the back of her neck, enjoying the subtle reaction my touch elicits as her skin pebbles. “Good thing I do have some knowledge that could be helpful after shadowing my father all these years.”
“Brilliant! Alex can be the first ambassador between realms,” Kian says with a grin.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ki.” I groan, though the idea of having a purpose is appealing, even if it’s nothing I’d ever envisioned for myself. Father will be proud.
“At least there’s a way for us to visit,” Rae says. “Though keeping track of the time difference will be tricky. We’ll have to make some kind of chart.”
“To time charts and new adventures,” Kian says, raising a glass.
“Hear, hear,” I reply with a smile.