Chapter Seven
Alexandra
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
My first thought on seeing him had been, Thank God! I knew he would come. I knew such a “damsel in distress” attitude might disappoint my feminist, independent-minded female colleagues. Sure, I usually resolved my own issues as Head of the Pediatric Surgical Department of the hospital, but in this situation, there was no strength that I had or no “take-no-shit” speech I could have given to get me away from those immortals, especially since I had no intention of revealing or alerting them to what I was capable of.
I had lived too long in the human world with my secret. Once I revealed who I was, what I was, how could I remain in this city? How could I remain in the job that I loved?
The second thought that I had was, God, he’s magnificent. Again, not what my feminist colleagues would have appreciated. I say colleagues because I have never had female friends. I couldn’t afford to have any close friends really. For the obvious secrecy reasons.
Anyway, back to my first sighting of Xander fighting, up close and personal. I was just gobsmacked. He had the kind of beauty that would rival that of an angel. And with that cloak of danger and mystery about him, he would have most definitely been a fallen angel. He carried a vibe of otherworldliness. An ethereal beauty but utterly masculine.
He swung his massive sword with a skill that awed me. And the fluid, flawless movements of his body… He simply took my breath away.
And now being held against his imposing frame, tall, hard, and so very virile, made me feel incredibly cherished and feminine. Given my determination to only date men of my race and color, I was determined to ignore the other physical, needy responses of my body. However, with the banging body and jeweled eyes before me, I was struggling to remember my reasons for my vow.
So, was it any wonder that I blurted out the inanest question I could possibly utter, “Why have you been stalking me?”
“That’s the question that you’re asking and nothing about how you were almost captured by vampires or the fact that we just dusted those fuckers?”
“That’s Tristan,” Xander said softly. “Ignore him.”
Oh God, even his voice was so damn appealing.
I forced myself to turn slightly toward the extraordinarily dangerous-looking guy who had helped Xander and Alexi. He was incredibly handsome in a glossy-model sort of way. With the tattoos peeking from his collar and the sleeves of his dress shirt, his cavalier grin, his dark honey skin, and his ink-black curly hair, which was cut almost military short, at first glance he looked like any red-blooded human male. However, the irises of his eyes were blood red and menacing, his incisors didn’t quite fit behind his lips, and his skin had a translucent quality about it that proclaimed him a deadly immortal. Everything about him was too smooth, too flawless and unreal.
Despite the intimate invitation in the handsome immortal’s eyes, I tightened my grip around Xander’s waist for reasons that I didn’t dare examine too closely.
Tristan gave me a cool stare, patient instead of being annoyed. “Come to think of it, how come you’re not freaking out about the powers we displayed tonight?” he asked, completely undeterred by my obvious preference for Xander.
“I’m not the freaking-out type.” I was in a happy place being held by Xander. I placed my cheek against the hard wall of his chest and was soothed even further by his clean, male scent. Everything about him soothed my senses.
Tristan gave a choked sound as though he was trying not to laugh.
I peered up at Xander. “They weren’t vampires, were they?” I wasn’t ready to admit what I knew. What if Alexi or Xander were repulsed by me?
Xander looked down at me, his expression as stoic and calm as usual, but his beautiful sea-green eyes held such regret I trembled as though something creepy-crawly had slithered over my skin. So, when he did speak, although he hadn’t said anything I didn’t know, I had to pretend a shock or at least a discomfort I didn’t feel.
“Yes, they were vampires. Unfortunately, they were feeding from the humans. There were compulsion fumes in the air, which had reduced any human that entered the club into a mindless minion.”
“Freaked out yet?” Tristan teased.
I glared at him from the safety of Xander’s arms. “No, because Xander protected me.” Yup, maybe I could become an A-list actor.
“Sounds like she’s a fan.” Tristan chuckled and slapped Xander on his shoulder. “Definitely not freaked out that you wielded a prehistoric sword, fire came out of my palms, and Papa punched holes in those fuckers’ chests.”
“I’m not freaking out about the powers, because those powers just saved me,” I dismissed. “Besides, I have been teleported by Father Alexi before. Just as some people are psychic, he has gifts too.” Not to mention my own gifts. Yup, let’s not talk about that.
I could feel Xander stiffen against me before he gritted disapprovingly, “Papa?”
“In my defense, I thought she was unconscious,” Alexi said mildly. “As soon as I realized that she was aware of what I did, I explained that I have special gifts, same as I was aware that Alexandra has gifts as well.” Alexi gave me a probing stare. “It seems you have other gifts you didn’t tell me about.” He fell silent as if waiting for me to admit to something.
Xander looked down at me questioningly.
I had no idea of what gifts Alexi was referring to, so I remained silent.
“You appear to have a shield,” Alexi murmured.
I arched an eyebrow. When you didn’t want to lie, pretend ignorance. However, I was curious of what he knew about my shield.
“You were not affected by the compulsion fumes as the other humans were,” Alexi elaborated.
I shrugged. Pretending ignorance had served me well so far.
Xander frowned. “Are you saying that, as a fated-mate, Alexandra has multiple gifts? Is that even possible?”
“Fated-mate? Damn, she couldn’t be any more marked,” Tristan said drily before Alexi could even address Xander’s question. “Alexandra? With a name like that, she isn’t only named for Xander, but she’s also named for Alexi as well.”
“Not now, Tristan,” Xander gritted out.
“So, not only does she have no idea who she is, she has no idea that she has been socializing with one of the oldest vampires in existence?” Tristan asked sweetly.
“Father Alexi is a vampire?” My stunned question was legitimate. I suspected that he was an immortal, but I hadn’t thought vampire. Father Alexi was too godly, too benevolent. He didn’t have the usual sly inclinations and violent tendencies of a vampire.
“You guys know how I feel about your habit of keeping your mates in ignorance.” Tristan’s voice dripped with disapproval. His eyes glowed blood red as he scowled at Father Alexi. “You did it with Danika, and I had no control over that. You best believe that I won’t let you do this to another unsuspecting woman.”
“This is none of your business,” Xander told him with chilling authority.
“I’m not ignorant of who I am. Father Alexi explained about fated-mates years ago. I’ve also seen Xander wield that sword many times,” I defended. I stepped out of Xander’s arms for the first time since we’d left the club. I felt a lot steadier.
“What?” Xander looked down at me, his expression as cool and stoic as ever.
I had no idea whether he was asking about his use of the sword or my stepping away from him. I chose to answer the former because it was easier to respond to. “I’ve been dreaming of you for the past nine years,” I told him, only realizing how sappy and weird that sounded when spoken out loud.
“We clearly need to have another conversation,” Alexi said softly.
“Hopefully, it will be the truth this time,” Tristan drawled.
Xander growled gutturally and stared stonily at Tristan for a few tense seconds.
It was the most emotion I’d seen from him ever.
Xander turned to his father. “You can have any conversation you like after you take care of the policeman,” Xander said calmly.
We all looked at Diego, who was still out cold on the ground at Father Alexi’s feet.
“What do you mean take care of him?” I asked, fearing the worst. Would they kill him to hide our secrets? What happened tonight was something that they should definitely want to keep quiet.
“We don’t harm innocent humans, my child,” Father Alexi said smoothly.
“Emphasis on the innocent part,” Tristan said slyly. “Given the policeman intended handing her over, not sure how he could still be considered innocent.”
“Sounds like mafia thinking to me. Is there a reason that you’re still here?” Xander asked. “I’m sure your famiglia must be missing your charming presence.”
“Papa and I are working on a project,” Tristan muttered.
Xander narrowed his eyes. “What did you do?” he asked.
“How is that your business?” Tristan asked mockingly.
“Your fuckups usually mean some humans are in danger and we have to clean your shit up.” Xander’s cool voice was even more chilling.
Tristan chuckled before giving Xander a mocking bow and disappearing as if by magic.
One minute he was there, and the next, he disappeared into thin air! It was times like this that I really had to question my sanity. How had this sort of thing become normal to me? Teleportation wasn’t a normal gift among immortals. It was quite rare, at least among the immortals I knew before this Petrov bunch.
“Tristan is right, Papa,” Xander was saying. “The policeman lured Alexandra to that club.”
“It could have been a coincidence, or he could have been compelled to do it,” Father Alexi argued. “Humans have no defense against the compulsion powers of a powerful immortal.”
“That may be true, so you will need to surf his mind and find out if it has been tampered with.”
“What do you mean, deliberate?” I asked. “Diego would never willingly harm me. I would know.”
“You are used to reading human minds for normal human motives,” Xander explained. “He could have been a minion before the club. Your ability would not be able to pick up on an immortal imprint on a human mind. Papa will be able to tell how compromised the policeman is. And I would prefer you have no further contact with the policeman.”
“Pardon?” I deliberately took several steps away from him. I wanted him to see me clearly. “You prefer? Explain this to me,” I said slowly, enunciating each word.
Xander breathed out deeply. “You sound like my brothers’ mates when they are annoyed.”
“And this surprises you?” I asked sweetly.
“Until we know what’s going on, you must take a few precautions. You are a woman of logic,” he said abruptly.
I bit back my immediate angry retort at his calm dismissal. This one was going to require a different kind of approach if I had a chance in hell of pushing back on his steadfast arrogance. Not much fazed him, and I wasn’t going to win an argument with him by being emotional.
Even as I glared at him with quiet seething, he looked over my head to his father. “Papa, would you take care of the policeman?”
“Of course,” Father Alexi said calmly. “I will be back shortly.”
As soon as Father Alexi left with Diego, Xander’s cool regard returned to me.
“You should pack a bag,” he told me.
“Why? I have to go to work in a few hours.” I moved away from him as though I could somehow shield myself from having to leave my home. Nothing about what happened tonight felt right. My world had irrevocably been changed. I knew it. I didn’t like it, but that still didn’t change that reality. However, it didn’t mean that I would allow anyone to dictate what I could or couldn’t do either.
“I can’t go anywhere,” I told Xander emphatically, just in case he thought that he could persuade me otherwise.
“You…” Xander became perfectly still, and his gaze blanked as though his mind was far away. And then his lips twisted, and an agonized cry erupted from his throat that did not even sound human. His eyes were no longer seeing what was inside my apartment. He was somewhere else.
“Drako!” he shouted.