Chapter 20

Alexi"s eyes flutter open, his vision slowly adjusting to the soft light filtering through the curtains. He blinks a few times, trying to get his bearings. This isn"t the sacred grove he last remembers. No, the scent hitting his nose is far more familiar, more comforting. Zara.

He inhales deeply, picking up her unique fragrance even before he sees her. Earthy moss, wild lavender, with a hint of impending rain, underscored by warm amber and vanilla. Unmistakably Zara.

Alexi pushes himself up to sitting, head swimming with the effort. He"s in Zara"s bedroom at the Alpha"s house, he realizes. But how did he get here? The last clear memory he has is of the battle, of blood and fear and adrenaline. Everything after that is hazy.

"Easy there, sleepyhead," Zara"s voice cuts through his jumbled thoughts. She steps into view, perching on the edge of the bed. "You"ve been out for a week. Give yourself a minute."

A week? Shit.Alexi runs a hand over his face, trying to process that. He"s missing a whole week"s worth of memories. That can"t be good.

"What...what happened?" he croaks out, throat dry and scratchy from disuse.

Zara reaches for a glass of water on the nightstand, pressing it into his hands.

"You took quite a beating out there, and I guess your new powers really drained you. Had us all worried sick. But Zeenia patched you up, said you just needed rest."

She pauses, a slight frown creasing her brow. "Aziel was losing his mind the whole time Zeenia was trying to heal you. Pacing around, snapping at everyone. It was...weird. I mean, I thought you just worked for him?"

Alexi a sip of the water, letting it soothe his parched throat before answering.

"Aziel may be rough around the edges, but he"s got a soft spot underneath all that bluster." He quirks a half-smile. "Believe it or not, he and his family are the only ones who"ve ever really respected me, treated me like I matter. Considering I"m a Helavyr, that"s saying something. They"re not just my employers, Zara. They"re the closest thing I have to family."

"I"d do anything for them," he says quietly, meeting Zara"s gaze. "And I know they"d do the same for me. That"s just how it is with us."

Alexi takes another sip, the cool liquid soothing his parched mouth. He studies Zara over the rim of the glass, taking in the dark circles under her eyes, the strain behind her smile.

Alexi"s body feels leaden, muscles weak and shaky. Whatever injuries he sustained must"ve been serious for him to still feel this wrecked a week later.

Alexi listens in awe as Zara recounts her epic battle against Marius, still hardly able to believe the sheer magnitude of power she unleashed.

An ultimate form, born of grief and rage...Alexi leans back, gazing at Zara in wonder. "Damn. You must"ve been magnificent out there. I"m sorry I missed seeing you in action like that."

Zara huffs out a strained laugh and glances away. "I"m not even sure exactly how I tapped into... whatever that was. All I knew in that moment was..." She swallows hard, eyes glistening. "I thought you were dead. And it just...shattered something inside me."

His chest tightens at the raw anguish in her voice. What must she have gone through, thinking she"d lost him? The unbreakable bond between them never fails to amaze him. "Hey," he says softly, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "I"m still here, okay? You didn"t lose me. Thanks to you."

She nods, blinking back tears, and squeezes his hand in return. "I know. Thank the gods for that." Zara takes a shuddering breath. "But maybe... maybe you can help me figure out how to access that power again sometime. Without the grief and rage triggering it."

"Of course, anything you need. We"ll figure it out." Alexi holds her gaze steadily, hoping she can feel the conviction in his words, the promise that he"ll always be by her side. Alexi"s thumb traces gentle circles on the back of Zara"s hand as he holds her gaze. "Just like we always do."

A smile slowly spreads across her face, and damn if it doesn"t make his heart skip a beat, even after all this time. He"s always been in awe of her strength, the fire that burns within her. But seeing her so raw, her defenses down... It stirs up a maelstrom of emotions he can"t even begin to untangle.

"And what about you, hmm?" Zara arches an eyebrow at him, a playful glint in her eye despite the tears still clinging to her lashes.

"I still can"t quite wrap my head around this new telekinesis thing," Alexi admits, reaching up and wiping the remnant of tears from Zara"s cheeks. A faint shimmer dances along his skin, hinting at the untapped potential within. "But I"m damn glad it kicked in when it did. Sounds like I gave that bastard quite a surprise." He chuckles darkly.

Zara"s expression softens. She reaches out, brushing a lock of hair off his forehead with a tenderness that makes his heart ache.

He leans into her touch, just a little. Lets himself savor that small intimacy, that connection. After the violence and bloodshed, he needs this quiet moment with her to ground him again.

Alexi tries to rise from the bed, but a wave of dizziness crashes over him and he collapses back against the mattress with a groan. His head is pounding and his mouth feels as dry as a desert. He can barely think straight through the haze of pain and exhaustion.

"Easy there, tough guy," Zara murmurs, gently pushing him back down. "Aside from the blood loss, you"re still weak from your powers. You need to take it slow."

She"s right, damn it.He can feel the weakness in his muscles, the hollowness in his bones. His body is crying out for sustenance, for the rich, coppery elixir that is a vampire"s lifeblood.

As if reading his mind, Zara settles on the edge of the bed and draws her dark hair back, exposing the slender column of her throat. "Here," she says softly, "drink from me. Take what you need."

Alexi hesitates, torn between hunger and reluctance. He"s fed from plenty of humans before, but never someone he cares for. "Zara, I don"t know if I can control myself right now..."

"I trust you." Her green eyes hold his, full of quiet conviction. "I know you won"t take more than I can give. Please, Alexi. Let me help you."

Swallowing hard, he nods. Reaches for her with shaking hands and guides her into his lap. She comes willingly, straddling his thighs as he buries his face against her neck and inhales deeply. Gods, she smells incredible. Like autumn leaves and petrichor, wild and earthy and alive.

His fangs ache with anticipation as he drags his tongue over her skin, tasting her pulse point. She shivers and sighs, fingers tangling in his hair.

"Do it," Zara whispers.

That"s all the encouragement Alexi needs. With a low growl, he sinks razor-sharp teeth into her offered flesh, moaning as hot, honey-sweet blood floods his mouth. It"s ambrosia, nectar of the gods. Her very essence flows into him, bright and powerful, nourishing him down to his bones.

Zara gasps and arches against him, nails raking down his back as she holds him close. "Yes," she hisses out between clenched teeth.

Her pleasure bleeds into his, igniting nerve endings like magnesium flares across his skin. Alexi drinks deep, greedy, lost to pure sensation. Time ceases to have meaning. There is only thirst and fulfillment, give and take, an ouroboros of need.

It"s only when Zara makes a soft moan that he mistakes as a pained noise that clarity returns like a splash of ice water. Horrified, Alexi pulls back, licking the wounds closed with shaking swipes of his tongue. "I"m sorry, I didn"t mean to—"

"Shh, it"s okay. I"m alright." She cups his face in her hands, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. Her eyes are slightly glazed, pupils blown wide and dark. "Better than alright, actually."

Then, moving slowly, deliberately, giving him every chance to pull away, Zara leans in and sets blunt human teeth to his shoulder. Bites down hard enough to mark him, to leave a livid bruise. Alexi shudders as the pain transmutes into liquid heat, searing him from the inside out.

"There," she murmurs, laving the indentations with her tongue. "Now you"re mine too. My mate."

The word sends a bolt of raw desire straight to his cock. Groaning, Alexi claims her mouth in a blistering kiss, all tongue and teeth. She meets him with matching ferocity, rocking her hips against the hard ridge of his erection.

Alexi"s blood sings with renewed vigor, desire coursing through his veins like molten lava. Zara"s mouth is hot and demanding against his, her body a delicious weight in his lap. He grips her hips, pulling her closer, grinding shamelessly against the heat of her core.

"Zara," he groans into the kiss, voice raw with need. "I want you. I need you."

She breaks away, panting, eyes flashing gold in the dim light. "Then take me," she challenges, a wicked smile playing at the corners of her kiss-swollen lips. "Claim your mate, Alexi."

A rumbling growl builds in his chest as his own eyes bleed crimson. In a blur of supernatural speed, he flips them over, pinning Zara beneath him on the bed. She gasps, then laughs breathlessly, hooking her legs around his waist.

"Mmm, I like this side of you," she purrs, arching up to nip at his jaw.

Alexi captures her wrists, holding them above her head as he grinds his aching cock against the apex of her thighs. Even through their clothing, he can feel the heat of her, the dampness soaking into worn denim.

Fuck, she"s so ready for me,he thinks hazily, drunk on pheromones and pent-up desire.

"You drive me crazy, you know that?" Alexi rasps, trailing openmouthed kisses down her neck. He pauses to lave the fading puncture marks, shuddering at the phantom taste of her lingering on his tongue. "I can"t think straight around you."

"Good," Zara breathes, writhing beneath him. Her skin flushes scarlet and a thin sheen of sweat beads along her brow. "Don"t think, just feel."

Her permission is his undoing.

Things are about to get very interesting.