His Mortal Bride

♱Chapter 28♱

Raven's P•O•V

The ride back was quiet with Lumină tied to Diavol. The sun now lied behind the clouds that rolled in. It was quite coincidental that they rolled in the minute Alec told me...

I had processed it well, as well as one could possibly process, but the words still didn't seem to come out. I didn't have the courage to talk to Alec. He didn't give the impression that he knew what to say either so I kept quiet.

When we got to the stables, Alec got off Diavol and came over to help me off of Lumină. I gasped once I fell into his arms. I looked down at my feet sheepishly as his fingers lingered on my waist. I could feel my eyes burn with tears although I had to accept what Alec had told me.

Alec kissed my forehead gently and I shivered.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured against my skin.

I could feel a single tear trail down my cheek. Alec wiped it away with his soft thumb. I looked up to him and studied his eyes.

"There's no other way. I chose to stay and I knew the day would come where you'd have to turn me." I told him solemnly, running my fingertips across his cheek. "I could never blame you for doing your duty as heir."

"I'm the one that kidnapped you. I could've left you and gave the throne to DeMalo. None of this would've happened." Alec breathed, closing his eyes and looking away ashamedly. I pulled his face back to look at me although his eyes kept away from mine. I frowned at the guilt he put upon himself.

"Alec," I said with a stern voice, "look at me."

Alec's eyes finally met mine. They looked dark with obvious guilt. I brushed the hair out of his face softly, feeling the soft midnight strands course through my fingers. My gaze returned back to his eyes and looked between the two maroon orbs.

I don't think I'd get used to his sheer vanity.

"None of this is your fault," I murmured, "You gave me a choice and I chose to stay. I chose this life and for you to stay heir, it was inevitable for me to become like you. If you left me in New York I would've lived out my life wishing to get out. Although it took me quite a long time to admit it, you've given me a better life in just a few months than I ever had in the twenty years I was in the city."

Alec looked at me with an expression of shock. He would know if I was lying and I wasn't. My words were sad, but I knew they were the truth. My life in NYC was purposeless and without meaning. I was just an everyday girl with barely a hint of gratitude from Steven.

Almost like he read my mind, Alec spoke,

"A woman like you deserves the life of a Queen," Alec said then enveloped me in his arms.

♱

Not even a few days later, Dimitri had sent a guard to call me down to dinner in the main dining hall. Knowing this, I guessed it must be something important.

I was quite hungry, but being summoned by the man who basically ordered the execution of my mortal life made me want to vomit.

Although I had come to terms with being turned for the sake of Alec's hierarchy, having to face the man that ordered it all made me realize how little control I had over the situation of my morality.