Chapter 72
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
Alexa went limp, and Ken lifted her up against his chest. She was unconscious. There were beads of sweat on her forehead and her face looked twisted in pain.
“What happened?” Levi asked, feeling helpless.
“Mikah’s light … it vanished.” Ken looked up at Levi as he shook his head. “I don’t know what this means.”
“We need to go back to Elysia. If something happened to Mikah, they will know. And … we need to take her back while she’s unconscious.” Levi looked up at Ken who seemed to be hesitating. “There is nothing we can do at the moment. We need answers.”
Ken sighed and finally nodded his head. “That bear better be alright.” He cradled Alexa in his arms, and with a slight shift in the air, he transported to Elysia.
Levi followed right beside him. Ken looked around the inner castle room where they’d appeared.
Reiya and Lita were both there, and they came rushing over to check on Alexa.
“Is she okay?” Reiya asked, running her fingers through her daughter’s damp hair. Lita grabbed Alexa’s hand, checking her pulse.
“Follow me,” Lita commanded and led them through a set of doors on the other side of the room.
Ken looked around the area. It had cabinets around it and a bed in the center of the room. Lita motioned for him to lay Alexa down. He raised his brows at her and fastened his grip on Alexa. “She isn’t leaving my arms.”
“Oh for goodness sake. Then sit down with her. Hurry up!” Lita commanded. Ken sat on the bed and looked over at her as she drew something up into a syringe.
Ken pulled Alexa back, growling lowly. “What is that?”
“We need to keep her asleep. This will make sure she doesn’t wake up anytime soon. Quickly. She needs this in order to recover.” Lita held the needle out, but Ken still wasn’t moving.
“Ken. Trust her. She would never hurt Alexa.” Levi watched as Ken furrowed his brows.
“I don’t think Alexa would want this.” Ken continued to guard her.
“If she wakes up now, she could hurt herself. You don’t want that,” Lita insisted, motioning for him to hurry up.
Ken gritted his teeth as he inhaled deeply. Alexa’s health was his number one priority. Reluctantly, he lowered Alexa, and Lita quickly grabbed her arm and plunged the needle into her flesh.
“There.” Lita sighed. “Now we can talk.” She looked up at Ken and smiled. “It’s just a sedative, relax. I promise there’s nothing in there that’ll hurt her. But if she wakes up now, she is going to hurt herself. She’ll be too upset. After the loss of Mikah …”
“What happened to Mikah?” Ken finally asked, interrupting Lita.
“Fairy magic is special, as you know. It has a life of its own. The connection between a guardian and the fairy princess is a joint relationship. A bond that surpasses basic comprehension. Stronger than the mate bond in a sense. Though it has never happened before, it is possible to sever that bond. Mikah has rejected being her guardian. His light didn’t vanish.
It just quit. It isn’t being blocked either. ”
“Alexa was in a lot of pain. She was linked with Mikah in order to find him, and she was feeling what he was feeling.” Levi’s lips pressed into a thin line as he shook his head. “He was protecting her …”
“Without Alexa’s light inside him …” Reiya whispered, her eyes watering.
“I’m going to get him back. I’ll find him and bring him back. She needs Mikah,” Ken said firmly as he tenderly held Alexa’s unconscious body.
“Ken’s fairy magic has awakened inside him.” Lee looked over at Reiya, whose eyes widened.
“Already? That was fast. Lee’s still hasn’t awakened. Fairy magic is choosey like that. But it must have been necessary.” Reiya furrowed her brows. “Did Alexa already …” She pursed her lips. “Did Alexa claim you as her prince?”
“She marked me … twice. Does that count?” Ken chuckled as Levi cleared his throat and closed his eyes. Reiya and Lita stood there quietly, staring at one another.
“It has to be because of the soulmate connection, right? The sharing of powers through the mark.” Lita looked at Ken with a discerning eye. “He hasn’t been made the prince yet. So that’s all it can be.”
“Whatever the reason, it allowed me to protect Alexa from a shadow attack.” Ken knew about fairy magic but not how in-depth it was. It was a type of magic that was alive. Unlike a witch and their magic, fairy magic was a lifeforce of its own.
Ken looked down at Alexa and his heart hurt. When she woke up, she was going to be a wreck. She needed Mikah. He easily felt that much. “We’ve got to get Mikah back. Alexa needs her guardian.”
“A new guardian is already ready. Usually, the fairy queen chooses the guardian for their daughter. But in the event of a death, there is already a replacement guardian that is trained. They already have the power of a guardian as a protector of Elysia—” Lita was again interrupted by Ken.
“I don’t care if you have twenty guardians lined up for Alexa. Mikah is her guardian, and I’m going to get him back. Can the connection be restored?” Ken looked up and watched Lita and Reiya exchange glances.
“Ken, the problem is that Mikah has barely kept the dark sprite at bay. Without Alexa’s light protecting him … the Mikah we know may no longer exist,” Reiya whispered.
“Bullshit. He is there. If I have to pound his head in to make him remember, then I will.” Ken growled angrily. What the hell was wrong with these people?
“Ken …” Levi sighed. “It won’t be so easy to pound some sense into Mikah if he embraces the darkness. Mikah isn’t a regular werebear. His heart was replaced with a primordial child’s heart, and that heart was blessed by Gaia.” He watched as Ken’s eyes widened.
Ken furrowed his brows and looked down. “Ouch. So Mikah is quite dangerous. I knew I could feel that power inside him. You know that’s my specialty, sizing up my opponents.
Which is why you’ve never given me a scare …
no offense.” He smirked at Levi. “So he’s the first of his kind then? A titan werebear.”
“With guardian powers on top of that … but he has given those up. Still, he is very strong. And I’m betting the nycrops can see this too.” Levi growled lowly. “I’ve got to get my boy out of there.”
“Now wait a minute. You guys were just saying—” Ken began, but Levi snapped at him angrily.
“I was never saying not to rescue Mikah! That is my SON, damn it!” He sighed and shook his head.
“But he may not be able to become Alexa’s guardian again.
That’s all. Whether he is dark or not, I will not leave him in their clutches …
” he trailed off in a whisper. It was torture thinking about what Mikah was going through right now.
Ken looked down at Alexa and frowned. “She won’t accept not having Mikah as her guardian.”
“She doesn’t have a choice. She is the fairy princess, and she has to have a guardian, no matter who it is.
I know that sounds harsh, but that’s just how it is.
I’m not saying she can’t accept Mikah again if …
if everything is okay with him. But right now, she will be given another guardian.
” Lita watched as Ken lifted his gaze to her.
“You said fairy magic is special and that the connection between a guardian and princess is a joint relationship.” Ken watched Lita nod her head, and he glanced over at Reiya and Levi.
“So how much do you want to bet she rejects the new guardian relationship?” He chuckled, his lips curling in a crooked smile.
“Because I can guarantee you, she will.”
“I agree.” Reiya looked up at Lee. “But she does need to be protected even if she rejects that bond. We have multiple guardians here right now, and one of them doesn’t have a royal to guard, since they are the extra guardian in Elysia.
Even if Alexa rejects the guardian, they will still protect her. ”
“Why not have one of the relative guardians watch her? It’s not like she would refuse her family.” Ken suggested with a shrug.
“If we have to, we will. But the problem is that guardians are attached to their charges. They won’t want to be away from who they are supposed to be guarding.
Like I said, it’s like a mate bond.” Lita frowned and shook her head.
“It must have been terribly hard for Mikah to sever his link to Alexa. Such a selfless love he had for her …”
“Has,” Ken said firmly, and this time Levi nodded his head in agreement.
“I think you’re underestimating Mikah. He might not have Alexa’s magic inside him, but his feelings are real.
And as a titan, he is strong. Strong enough to beat the sprite on his own.
He just needs to realize it.” Ken wasn’t sure where his strong devotion for Mikah was coming from.
Maybe it was because he was connected to Alexa, and he knew how she felt about Mikah.
He thought about Mikah and of him being held somewhere.
Ken’s eyes suddenly widened, and he shifted beneath Alexa, moving her onto the bed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I love you.” He straightened up and looked over at Lita. “How long will she be out for?”
“For several more hours. It just depends. It may even knock her out for a day.” Lita watched as Ken tucked the sheet over her gently.
“Please … watch over her closely. Make sure someone is with her at all times,” Ken said, and Reiya laughed.
“I’m her mother. I’ve been watching over her since birth.” Reiya then looked up at him curiously. “Where are you going?”
“I …” Ken looked up at Levi. “I need to borrow your dolphin for a bit, if that’s alright.”
Levi snorted but quietly stared at Ken. He wondered what was going through his head. But if he was willing to leave Alexa, it must be something important. He tightened his arm around Reiya and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll be back soon.”
“If she wakes up before I come back, tell her I’ll be back soon and to wait for me.” Ken looked up at Levi. “Follow me.”
Raine was sitting on her bed in her room.
She’d been keeping herself isolated from everyone.
Even though she knew Ryker was safe, she felt lonely without him and was trying to keep herself calm.
After he disappeared on her, she feared the worst. And now, knowing he was safe …
she placed her head in her hands and began to cry.
The emotional overload was just too much, and it needed to come out.
The soft click of her door shutting startled her, and she whipped her head around.
The scent hit her first before her watery eyes landed on him … her Ryker.
At first they just looked at one another, frozen in place.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as his eyes softened.
“Raine.” He whispered her name, his voice hoarse with emotion.
“What’s wrong, Raine. Why are you crying?
Did I make you cry? I am … so sorry. I’m sorry for everything.
I am so sorry, my love.” He walked over to her and knelt down in front of her.
“I am so sorry.” he whispered. He pulled her into his arms.
“You’re here,” she cried. He grabbed the back of her head and held her to his chest. “Ryker,” she whispered, her bottom lip quivering.
“I’m so sorry, Raine.” His eyes filled with tears. She shook her head.
“I’m so glad you’re back. I’m so thankful you’re safe …
” Raine then began banging her fists against his chest. “You’re an idiot.
How could you leave without me?! Take me with you.
No matter where you’re going …” She hiccupped as her breath shuddered.
“How could you not take me with you? You don’t know …
the thoughts that were racing through my mind.
I thought … you might have abandoned me,” she whispered as he tilted her head up to look at him.
“Gods, Raine. Damn, I am so sorry.”
She let out a laugh as he wiped her tears away. “You should be,” she said with a huff.
She raised both hands, placing them on his cheeks, “I love you, Ryker. I love you. And you’re mine.” She pushed forward, tasting the lips she’d been deprived of.
Their tongues danced together. The kiss was passionate and almost feral. He growled against her lips as she moaned softly.
“Gods, Raine. I’ve missed you. I have so much to tell you and to explain,” Ryker murmured through his siege of kisses.
“Me too.” She smiled against his mouth. He lifted up from his knees and pressed her back on the bed, where he continued his assault. She giggled underneath him as his hands traveled over her sides. “Ryker … are you back to stay now?”
He sighed and leaned on his side. He traced his hand over her chest slowly, frowning.
“Actually I need to leave again. I found out I belonged to a group that protects the West Dragon Kingdom. But there is a traitor there. The reason I lost my memories. Brian and I are going to help flush out any more traitors. Including those who are in the dragon kingdom now.” He looked down at her.
“But I’ll come back to you. I promise I will always come back to you. ”
“Us,” Raine whispered, watching him study her. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. “Us.”
Ryker’s eyes widened, and he looked down at his hand. “Raine … are you saying …” He watched her smile as she nodded her head. “We’re pregnant?!” His lips curled and he pressed his lips against Raine’s stomach. “We’re having A BABY!”