On the Run

AYA

^PRESENT DAY^

We spent the entire evening navigating the mountain range, managing to catch two chamois and a pair of rabbits for dinner. We tried to use our meal as a decoy for the hunters on our trail, but we were moving deeper inland, where there were fewer bodies of water to help mask our scent.

Alexander guided me to a chalet tucked away in a small grove of fir trees.

“It belonged to my grandfather,” he shared. “One of them.”

After ensuring the place was vacant, he led me inside and down into the cellar. The cellar was beautifully adorned, though it was clear no one had been there for years. The wooden walls were impeccably polished and smooth, a plush white rug covered the floor, and a large bed, draped in luxurious red silk sheets that Alexander quickly dusted off, dominated the room.

The walls were adorned with delicate paintings of Alpine landscapes and a few portraits of Alexander and his sisters as children.

Alexander seemed a bit uneasy when he noticed me studying a painting of his mother.

“Why did your sister go after the new queen?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Alexander scoffed from behind me. I could hear him trying to tidy up as fast as he could.

“She hasn’t come to terms with our downfall,” he replied, his voice rough. “She’s been seeking revenge for decades. I think turning four hundred was the last straw.”

“Or maybe it was you burning down the manor,” I suggested.

He let out a dark chuckle. “Yeah. That probably didn’t help.”

“She won’t get far,” I said, turning to face him and setting my bag on the old, upholstered bench at the foot of the bed.

“I know.”

“No, really.” I paused, waiting for him to meet my gaze. “You’ve been locked up for fifty years. The new queen—she’s adored, Alex. Both turned vampires and purebloods love her. Except maybe the Shahalias. She has a wall of vampires protecting her.”

“Is she really that popular?” He winced.

I nodded, grinning. “Yeah. What did you think of her? You met her, didn’t you?”

He winced again. “I wanted to marry her,” he admitted.

I was taken aback for a moment before I burst into laughter.

He glared at me. “That’s quite ambitious,” I teased. “She’s married with a child to the love of her life.”

He ran a hand through his hair, nodding sheepishly. “Yeah. It was a dumb idea. I was being a jerk. I think…maybe there was something about her that reminded me of you—the power she held, yet she was so delicate.”

He shrugged. “I’m glad she’s happy now. I don’t wish her any harm. In fact, I want to get my sister as far away from her as possible.”

“I’m more concerned about your sister than I am about the queen,” I agreed. “And you.”

“Not yourself?” he asked.

“Nah, I can just say I was trying to catch you this whole time.”

I grinned, and Alex chuckled, leaning back on the bed.

I found myself moving toward him, holding his gaze. His eyes seemed to flash crimson as they slowly moved down my body. His fingers dug into the mattress behind him.

I wanted to touch him. I craved the contact.

I stepped into his space, standing between his open legs and placing my hands on his shoulders. His hands immediately wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer while his head tilted up to meet my gaze.

He looked vulnerable, completely at my mercy. His eyes darkened to red, his full lips curling into a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. A heavy sadness hung over him.

“I’m worried about the fact that you’re both out here,” I whispered. “Everyone knows by now, Alex. Everyone is hunting you—to get a piece of you, revenge for something your family did centuries ago, or just to look good for the new queen. Either way, I don’t see how much further we can go before someone catches up with us.”

My fingers ran through his soft, dark hair. “We can fight, and you’re a pureblood, but you can’t fight off twenty turned vampires at once—not before they get to me. Alex, we tried running from the world once. I won’t make the same mistake again. This won’t last.”

A dark look crossed his face, his fingers digging into my waist as he pulled me closer, resting his forehead against my collarbone.

“I won’t let them take you from me again,” he murmured. “I won’t let them use you against me again.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine.

“Alex, they’ve left,” I murmured softly.

He looked at me, his eyes wide. “I’ve made a lot of enemies,” he admitted.

“I promised to accompany you to Tours,” I reminded him. “And I will. But you can’t keep going like this, Alex. You can’t survive with every vampire in Europe on your tail. They’re thirsty for your blood. You heard what Tom and his friends said…”

“Let them come,” he retorted, his voice gruff.

“You’re not invincible, Alex,” I told him. “And neither am I. I can’t bear to lose you again.”

My voice dropped to a whisper with the last sentence.

He raised his head, his blood-red eyes locking with mine. “I won’t let that happen,” he vowed.

“Alex,” I breathed out.

He moved his hands down my hips to my thighs, pulling me onto his lap. I was straddling him now, my chest brushing against his, our faces level.

“I’ll go back, Aya. I’ll accept my banishment. I don’t want to cause any more trouble. I’ll go back and serve my punishment.”

The thought made my heart squeeze painfully. My eyes welled up with tears. Alex could feel my emotions; he pulled me closer with one hand on my back, while the other cupped my cheek.

“It’s the right thing to do, little bird,” he whispered.

“Then I’ll go with you,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

His face hardened instantly, and his hand on my back pressed me farther into him.

“No. You’re free. I won’t drag you back into that hell.”

“But it’s gone. It burned down.”

“Any other place that belonged to my family, then,” he retorted.

His face softened when he saw the tears welling up in my eyes again. “Aya, I deserve this. I owe it. You…you deserve freedom. You deserve happiness. I won’t take that away from you.”

“But you make me happy,” I whispered.

His heartbeat quickened at my words, and a low rumble vibrated from his chest.

Had I forgiven him? I wasn’t sure. Did I still love him? I never stopped.

“Aya,” he murmured, his lips brushing past mine, sending a shiver of pleasure through me.

I melted into him. His strong body held me up effortlessly.

“I won’t pull you down with me,” he promised, his breath tickling the back of my neck. “This time, I’ll protect you.”

His words made my heart pound. I knew he could hear it. It was deafening. Or was that his heart, beating in sync with mine?

“I love you, Aya,” he whispered.

My heart skipped a beat.

“I understand if you’re scared. I am too. But I can’t stand the thought of losing you again. I want you, Aya. More than anything I’ve ever wanted. I want to be yours. And I want you to be mine again. I need it.”

“Alex, I…” My voice was shaky. I could feel my blood rushing, my muscles tensing. “I can’t let you hurt me again. Not like that. I wouldn’t survive,” I confessed, tears welling up and spilling over.

Alex gently wiped the tears from my cheeks.

“I have nothing to offer you, little bird. No power, no title, no safety. But I can give you my heart. It’s always been yours. And I promise you, I’d rather destroy my own heart than hurt yours again. I’d walk through fire for you, Aya. Because you’re worth it. You’re all that matters to me now.”

I choked on a sob, my tears flowing freely.

He wiped them away, his lips brushing against my temple.

“You don’t have to trust me right away, Aya. But I promise you—I’ll earn it back.”

And with that, he sealed his promise with a passionate kiss.