Chapter 3 After the Ashes ~ Part Two

The next thing she felt was him lifting her off the ground so that his face was at her center. The shower became his altar.

Water streamed over both of them as he carried her effortlessly, pressing her back against the warm tiles. He held her suspended, at his mercy. His blue eyes locked onto hers for one heartbeat before he dropped his head.

"Mmm~"

His mouth found her with devastating precision. No hesitation and no mercy. His tongue worked with centuries of skill that drew sounds from her that echoed off the bathroom walls. One hand gripped her thigh, keeping her open to him, and the other pressed flat against her lower belly, feeling every tremor.

"That's it. Let go for me."

His voice vibrated against her, sending shockwaves that drove through her entire body. He was relentless, consuming her completely. His aim was to show her exactly what it meant to be claimed by something ancient and hungry.

Her fingers locked in his hair as pleasure crashed through her-raw and unfiltered. His name tore from her throat. He felt every tremor, every gasp, and it fed something primal in him like never before.

His teeth sank into the soft inside of her thigh, not breaking the skin but close-a claiming bite that mirrored the one she had left on his shoulder. A mark and a promise.

"Mmmmm~"

He pulled back, breathing hard, and looked up at her through the cascading water. His eyes burned with something ancient and satisfied.

"You're bleeding me dry, woman," he moaned as he came again, triggered by her release.

He carried her from the shower, water still dripping from both of their bodies. The bedroom awaited-his bed, his territory, and his claim made.

They made love the rest of the day knowing that this...this would be forever and one day he would turn her to keep her by his side.

Hours blurred into each other. The day became timeless-skin against skin, whispered words in the darkness. His body moved with hers like they'd been doing this for centuries instead of hours.

Alex traced patterns across her collarbone as he watched her breathe in the shadows of the darkened room. His fingers found the mark on her thigh-his mark-and he traced it possessively.

"You know what this means, don't you?"

His voice was low, certain. He pulled her closer, her head resting against his chest where his heart didn't beat like the living yet still made a sound.

"I won't age. You will... unless..." He paused, watching her face. He wanted to know how she felt about the possibility before he said anything more.

He didn't finish. Didn't need to. The thought hung between them-inevitable, patient, and a promise written in vampire blood and ancient legacy.

She stirred against his chest, her eyes barely opening. "Unless you turn me?" she murmured. Her fingers curled loosely against his skin. "Ask me again when I'm awake enough to think."

"One day, Nadi. When you're ready. I'll keep you forever."

His hand settled on her heart, feeling it slow as she drifted toward sleep in his arms. He pulled her closer and stayed awake, thinking about that promise-one he had never made to anyone else in a thousand years. And he had only just met her.

Alex lay awake in the darkness, her heartbeat steady beneath his palm. Four hundred years since he'd last felt anything remotely like this-and before that, he'd gone a thousand years without it.

He had made promises before. Hollow things, whispered to keep mortals compliant. But this-this was different. She was different. He didn't understand it yet. Didn't want to. A woman he met hours ago had somehow rewired something fundamental in him, something he thought died with his humanity. Her breathing deepened as sleep claimed her completely. He didn't move. Wouldn't move. His fingers traced lazy circles on her shoulder, possessive even in rest.

~One day, he thought. There was only so long he could put off that conversation. She would grow older while he stayed the same, and the thought of losing her already frightened him. Forever would mean turning her. He couldn't see another way.

~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~

"Aleksander Veyr! Where have you been? The entire court has awaited your arrival. Do you think the king's court shall wait upon your pleasure?"

Alex entered the palace, disheveled from the time he'd spent with the maiden next door. Hay still clung to his hair, and he smiled.

"In the stables, Father. Forgive my appearance. I was unaware my presence was required so urgently. Have I neglected some duty?" he asked.

His father, King Soren Veyr of Noctavia, turned sharply on his heel and said,

"Do not insult my intelligence, boy. You were commanded to attend the presentation of your betrothed this evening. Is the honor of House Veyr of so little consequence to you? Would you disgrace your bloodline and bring ruin upon Noctavia merely to satisfy your own desires? Upon the very kingdom you are destined to serve?"

He remembered bowing and apologizing, though the words he'd spoken had long since faded from memory. What he hadn't forgotten was being thrown across the grand ballroom and into the wall. He had been forty years old, a vampire for only five years, yet his father still treated him like a disobedient child. That was the night he fled Europe, and the last time he ever spoke to his father.

The lands of Noctavia stretched across what humans called Western Europe. Millions of people in France, Spain, Germany, and Italy had lived their lives with no idea the ground beneath them answered to King Soren-until now.

~~~End of Flashback~~~~~

She turned in her sleep, and he rolled onto his side, wrapping his arm around her waist to stay close. Evening had fallen, and his thoughts returned to what needed to be done. He needed to contact Juniper. She remembered being human, and she might understand what Nadi needed in ways he didn't. But how was he supposed to start that conversation?

He didn't want to move, but there were things he couldn't put off any longer. He eased his arm from around her waist and got out of bed, careful not to wake her.

Alex moved silently through The Velvet Vein, leaving her sleeping in his bed-a deliberate choice, and something he'd never done before. His phone was in his hand as he headed downstairs to his office and closed the door behind him.

He dialed Juniper's number. She answered on the second ring, her voice cautious as she said his name questioningly.

"I need your advice," he said without preamble. "About Nadia."

There was a long pause. Juniper knew what that tone meant-Alex didn't ask for advice. Ever.

"She's human, strong, and I've made a promise. I've never made one like this before."

Another pause, heavier this time.

"Alex? Are you under duress-do we need to come get you?" she asked, worried and confused.

His voice carried something unfamiliar-a vulnerability wrapped in a kind of command.

"Alex? Are you under duress-do we need to come get you?" she asked worried and confused.

A low sound escaped him-something between a laugh and a growl.

"No duress, Juniper. The opposite, actually."

He settled into his chair, fingers steepled. The predator in him was satisfied, dangerous in a different way this time.

"I met someone. Last night. She's...different, strong, and real. She offered to help with this Order situation, and then-"

He stopped. Ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I want to turn her. Eventually. But I need to understand what she needs from me first. As a human. Before that choice comes."

His voice dropped lower almost to a whisper.

"You turned recently. You understand both sides. I mean as a woman. Tell me what Nadi should know. What she'll fear. What she might want."

"Help me treat her right. I don't want to fuck this up. She marked me, and I let her. Then I marked her, but I didn't feed. She's my mate, Juniper."

Juniper's intake of breath was sharp.

"Alex. That's-that's serious. You don't mark someone unless you mean it."

Her voice steadied, became more focused.

"Okay. Well, she needs to know who you are-not just the vampire, but you-the possessiveness, the control, the fact that you don't let go. She needs time to understand that before you turn her. And Alex, she needs to want it not because you've glamoured her or because the bond is pulling her, but because she is choosing you, knowing exactly what forever looks like. She will also need to know your past, and you need to know hers."

Juniper paused.

"Feed from her. Soon. Let her feel the connection. Let her understand the intimacy of it. But do it gently-she's human, she's fragile in ways you forget. And don't hide what you are. She marked you knowing what you are. That means something."

"Treat her like she matters, Alex. Because clearly, she does."

"Thank you, Juniper, really. You guys should come over-we had a bombing last night and we need to go over the plan."

Juniper's voice sharpened with concern.

"A bombing? Alex, are you okay? Is Nadia hurt?"

He could hear rustling on the other end of the phone; she was moving, getting ready to leave-that was clear.

"We'll be there within the hour. Cole's with me. And Alex-"

Her tone became serious.

"Be careful with her. If hunters are escalating to bombs, they're not just targeting vampires anymore. They're targeting anyone who associates with us. She's in danger now just by being with you." The line went quiet for a moment.

"We're on our way. Keep her close until we get there."

He heard a car door slam and the line went dead, leaving him with her words swirling inside his head. Alex thought about the possibility of the Order knowing about their connection even though it had just happened. He knew better than to assume safety in this world.

He stood, moving back upstairs toward his bedroom where she still lay sleeping. He thought about the possibilities as he walked up to Max and said,

"We need to make sure she understands what she's walking into. This Order meeting tonight-it could be a trap. And if they know about her connection to me..."

"The hunters have resources, money, and organization. They could have been watching the bar, noticed us together. Connections matter in their circles-a woman who has my attention would be noted, filed away, investigated. Find out what they might know."

He stilled at the door. The risk existed. Always. He slid back into bed beside her, careful not to wake her. His hand settled on her waist, possessive and protective. Tonight, he'd meet with Marcus Webb. But right now you're here, he thought. Safe and mine.

~For now, that was enough~