Just hold me || Shadow and Bone || The grishaverse

Chapter fiftheen

Aleksander didn't know if he wanted to take her there or to escape from the room so she wouldn't affect him so much. He had never had to deal with his feelings this much; he wasn't sure he was ready the way she seemed to be. How could she have a better sense of her emotions, a better grasp of this attraction? He was the one who was centuries old.

He groaned.

"Don't say things like that or you'll make me skip all my duties this afternoon."

He put his head on top of hers so that he wouldn't kiss her, but his hands descended on her hips and gripped them tightly, clearly showing how he would like to spend the afternoon.

She relaxed against him but didn't hug him back or so much as touch him with her hands.

"Is it so wrong that I want you to skip your duties?" She asked, her voice muffled in his kefta.

He didn't answer but he nuzzled his nose in her hair, breathing her in.

After a while, he said: "You have enough to work on for today, you should continue alone now that you can do it without amplification".

Alina leaned back to look at his face, "Is the lesson over already?"

"Yes, you can take it from here, I'll see you this evening. Have dinner with me?" He said tilting his head, "I'll bring a surprise."

"I thought we would have more time together this afternoon," she said without thinking.

He caressed her cheek, "I prefer to spend time with you that doesn't involve teaching."

Alina bit her lips but then nodded.

"You're right," she whispered and then lifted to her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you tonight then," he said caressing her cheek and then tugging her chin up for another kiss.

—————-

After Alina had gone, Aleksander had half an hour to read various reports.

A feeling of apprehension overcame him when someone suddenly knocked at his door.  An inexplicable tension began to build inside him, but he knew all he could do was say: "Come in," and stand up.

David entered the room.

"Moi Soverenyi," he greeted him, bowing his head.

After David closed the doors, he deposited a stack of papers on the table in front of Aleksander, "I've completed the research you asked me to conduct a few months ago."

Aleksander knew that was going to be the topic of the conversation the moment David had entered but he froze at his words nonetheless.

When he had first seen Alina's drawings of the stag, he had gone to David, his best durast, and ordered him to research the possibility of controlling someone's powers through an amplifier. He had almost forgotten it in the last few weeks - a lot of things had happened - but he knew he had to make a choice.

While David talked, his mind wandered. He really didn't want to do it. He didn't want to chain Alina, to take her power from her. It was savage and inhuman, he knew it. She wasn't his slave and he didn't want her to become one. But, on the other hand... what if she refused to help him move the Fold? What if she tried to stop him?

"Thank you, David, you are ingenious as always, I'll take this option into consideration," Aleksander said, taking the papers and putting them in one of his drawers.

David bowed his head again and excused himself from the room.

Aleksander sat at his chair and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.