Chapter Forty-Two (Killian)
"What did you say to him?" Mallurak demanded, cornering Mikhail the moment he came into the kitchen. Gracie was right beside her husband, almost two feet shorter, hands on her hips, blue eyes flaring, and somehow every bit as threatening. Mikhail held his hands up in surrender, laughing nervously.
"I'm sorry. It was my fault. I was pushing him to open up. No one told me he was like a can of hairspray... You know, expose him to heat and he'll explode." He admitted with a shrug. Mallurak rolled his eyes and leaned back on a counter, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Fantastic. Now he might not even come back, knowing him." He sighed in frustration, dropping his arm to rest on his leg. Gracie glanced at him, then at Mikhail with a frown before wagging a finger in his face.
"You're grounded. Stay away from the incubus." She scolded, making Mikhail grin and shrug a little as he twirled a blade of grass from outside around his finger.
"It's gonna be kinda hard. He's really cute." He admitted. That sent a flare of jealousy sparking in me and Mikhail picked up on it quickly. He cast me a daring grin before he went toward Gracie's flan that was sitting out on the counter. He went to poke a finger into it, but Gracie slapped his hand away and scowled at him. Mallurak frowned, pushing off the counter and approaching me.
"You need to get him back, Killian." He told me. I grimaced, averting my eyes to watch Gracie try and shoo Mikhail from the kitchen, then let my eyes drift toward the front door where Alexius had disappeared to.
"I can't," I answered at last, defeated for the first time in ages, "He hates me, Mal. If he even sees me, he'll just be driven further away." Mallurak scowled, folding his arms over his chest.
"Since when have you ever given up on something? You've completed all your missions in the past."
"This isn't just another mission, Mallurak," I hesitated, watching Mallurak stare at me intently before I rolled my eyes and ran a hand through my hair in frustration, "It's so much harder than all of that. Alexius didn't have what you and the other cambions had. He didn't even have a family to protect him. That's why he was so easily to manipulate before. People offered him what he wanted most and he kept hoping that maybe once, just once, someone would be able to give it to him, but they kept pulling it out of his reach just when his fingertips touched it. And it certainly didn't help that I turned out to be one of those people."
"Did you?" Mallurak asked sternly, making me frown and glance at him as he folded his arms over his chest, searching my face with piercing silver eyes.
"You said those people just dangled his dreams above his head, but you never did that, did you?"
"What're you talking about--"
"You gave Alexius what he wanted. You didn't take it away. You just tossed the scrap of meat at him, then ran away to watch him sit there and stare it. Don't be a coward, Killian. I know you're not. Alexius isn't the only one who's suffered. You've suffered too. You need to remind him of that." Mallurak explained firmly, glancing toward the front door, then back at me. I paused, looking toward the door, then back at Mallurak, who was watching me with an intense stare.
Mallurak was right. He was always right. He was wise as well as overprotective and territorial, but wise nonetheless and it had saved thousands of people before. I don't see why his wisdom wouldn't save my relationship with Alexius.
So I nodded slowly, then withdrew to head to the door just as Keltzu and Zen were coming down the stairs. I stopped to greet them, seeing how odd they looked in regular clothing as compared to their loinclothes from before. Keltzu wore a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt while Zen had taken the khakis and the sweatshirt, which was far too big on him and almost hung down to his knees, but he didn't seem to notice. He was cuddled his face against the sleeves.
"Soft!" He exclaimed when he saw me staring. I forced a smile, then looked up at Keltzu, who frowned at me curiously.
"What's happening?" He asked, giving his shirt an uncomfortable tug. It'd take some getting used to strange clothes, as well as other strange customs.
"I'm going to go talk to Alexius," I told them, watching them look up at me in surprise, "I need you two to stay here. When I get back, we're going to get your parents and bring them here to see you, but they can only stay for a day. At least, until the war is over." Zen frowned, looking up at Keltzu in confusion, but he only ruffled his little brother's hair, nodding.
"Best of luck. Try not to die." Keltzu added, making Zen look at me incredulously. I smiled at that, then looked at Keltzu.
"I'll do my best." I told him, then turned and opened the door, walking out of the house and looking up just in time to see Sayyid, the cambion of the Jinn, and his girlfriend, Rose. Sayyid was a rather tall, buff man with thick black hair that he wore in a tight, slicked back ponytail down his back, his eyelashes so dark that it sometimes made people wonder if he wore make up. His eyes were a deep shadow of brown, like coffee. His dark skin glistened with sweat, mostly covered with a black tank top and matching shorts. His girlfriend, Rose, was also quite a beauty with long, slender legs and hair as blonde as the sunlight falling in loose waves over her smooth shoulders that looked particularly sunburnt today. Her brown eyes flickered when she saw me and I knew she wasn't pleased to see me. She didn't like any member of the council because of how forcefully we had to work to get Sayyid to come here.
"Killian," Sayyid greeted, his voice a deep masculine sound that could make any woman tremble, his accent thick and Rs rolling, "It's a pleasure to see you again. Mallurak mentioned that you would be stopping by. I didn't think it was so soon." He came over and shook my head, pulling me in for a half hug that I complied with before pulling back, giving Rose a respectful nod to which she just cleared her throat at. I smiled anyway, then looked at Sayyid.
"Have you seen an incubus around here?" I asked. Sayyid frowned at that.
"Incubus? You found the incubus cambion?" He asked. Rose frowned, folding her arms over her chest and cocking her head so her blonde hair fell over one shoulder.
"You brought an incubus to Erini?" She asked dryly. Sayyid gave her a warning look, to which she held her hands up in defense before shrugging.
"I've been around plenty of those bastards," She told us honestly, making me frown at the insult, "They can seduce just about anyone. They can make straight men turn gay, or straight women turn lesbian. They can make even the most shiest of virgins turn into a raging slut bag. Trust me. It's a scary sight. My sister was the victim of one of those things." She nodded matter-of-factly, but didn't seem too concerned with her sister's run in as she flipped her hair back over her shoulder. It was times like this that made me wonder why Sayyid chose her of all people to be his girlfriend, but then, Sayyid had a bit of a masochistic streak at times.
"Well," I continued calmly, "You guys can go ahead to Mallurak's. I need to find him. Also, we have two other incubi in there, Keltzu and Zen. They're not from... Well, from a place you'd be used to, so be nice around them. Zen's extremely young, probably only eighteen."
"Eighteen," Sayyid sputtered in surprise, making Rose's eyebrows shoot up as well, "He's practically an infant."
"I'll say," Rose agreed, nibbling her lower lip and bringing up a hand to cover her habit, her red painted nails glistening in the sun, "He probably has no idea what's going on."
"Pretty much," I admitted with a shrug, "But his brother, Keltzu, is extremely protective of him, so if I were you, I'd keep a good five feet from him. He's super curious too, so if he tries to take your clothes off just to see how you put them on, just tell him no."
"Killian," Sayyid said in a droll tone, "I had thirteen half-brothers and sisters back at home. I can handle an incubus child just as well."
"I hope so," I told him with a smile, then nodded to them, "I'll see you both back at the house." They nodded and went past me to Mallurak's as I walked down the path through the small cambion village, but I saw no sign of Alexius. Of course not, I realized with a scowl as I stopped in the middle of the street. He wouldn't be around people. He hated people.
I looked up, frowning as I scanned the area before my eyes landed on the ocean. He'd be curious about it, surely. He didn't have a chance to go swimming back in Ivacha, so he'd probably take the chance to explore this place in an attempt to forget what was actually happening around him.
I walked between a couple cottages and walked through the tall, thick grass that eventually became a sea of white, warm sand that led to the blue rippling ocean ahead. Waves crashed to the shores, waters stretching across the sand before withdrawing back to the sea. I looked to the left, but only saw blank white sand that stretched on for miles, then turned to the right and caught sight of Alexius sitting near the water, his bare feet partially swallowed by wet sand. I walked quietly, cautiously because I had no idea if Alexius was still angry or not as he was when he left the house.
Much to my relief, he didn't move and I was sure he knew I was there. He just sat there, knees drawn to his chest, feet sinking into the wet sand. His arms were folded on his knees, chin resting on top of them, eyes hooded as they gazed out over the ocean that stretched on into infinity.
"Alexius?" I asked. I got no response. It wasn't too much of a surprise, though. I looked around, making sure we were alone before I slowly got down to sit beside him, but kept a good two feet between us in case he blew up. Much to my relief, he remained sitting, staring straight ahead.
"Listen, I was hoping we could talk... I don't want this to continue on forever." I admitted quietly, then waited a moment to see if Alexius had anything to say, but he just sat there and stared. I wasn't even quite sure if he was listening to me or not, but it was worth a try to continue, so I did.
"Before when I apologized... I meant it. I'm sorry for hurting you, that was never my intention. I wanted to help you, to save you, to bring you to Erini where you could be happy for once." I explained calmly. Alexius snorted at that and I prepared myself for his insults and anger as he lifted his head slightly, lowering his knees a bit so they were still bent, but stretched out a little more. The waves of the ocean curled inwards, throwing themselves onto the shore, the water reaching outwards and stretching to Alexius' feet. They touched for a moment, then withdrew before Alexius spoke.
"Well, I'm in Erini. Now what?" He spoke in the same cold tone he had when we first met and I felt like someone had just crushed me with a hammer. Alexius was going back to the way he was before. The same cold-hearted killer who just wanted to bathe in the blood of his enemies, to be alone with his own misery and sorrow.
"You're not used to it," I told him gently, "You'll probably be more comfortable once we get you your very own home. The other cambions and I will build it for you. You'll only need to stay at Mallurak's for a little longer."
"I don't want to live with these people." Alexius said bluntly. I frowned.
"Alexius, whatever Mikhail did, ignore it. He's actually quite friendly once you get to know him. He just tends to say the wrong things at the wrong time--"
"I don't want to get to know him," Alexius answered heatedly, clenching his fists into the sand, eyes narrowed, "I don't want to get to know any of these people. I want to go home." I blinked, looking at him in surprise.
"Home? You mean back with Ren? Alexius, why--"
"I rather go back there," He muttered, lifting a handful of sand and holding it out in front of him, the tiny fine grains flying between his fingers with the wind and sailing out in front of him to mix with the water that reached out once again to cradle his feet before disappearing, "I want to go back to where I came from. I rather be there with all those people than be here." I grimaced, averting my eyes for a moment in silence.
Neither of us spoke now. Alexius just watched the sand slip past his fingers before he drew his knees up close again, this time wrapping his arms around them to hold them close to his chest, his head tilted to stare out at the ocean. The only sounds came from the ocean, the waves crashing, the foam hissing as it subsided, the seagulls overhead passing by quickly before landing on the other side of the beach near their nests in the bluffs.
I could hear Alexius' heart and, though his expression was calm and bitter, his heart was throbbing hard in his chest. I could hear the way it skipped beats whenever I shifted in the sand or breathed a heavy sigh. He was still in pain, no matter how much he tried to hide it and I knew for a fact that he didn't really want to go back home. He was just used to it there. He was accustomed to the hatred, to the scorn.
It was a sad day when someone rather be hated and destroyed by their own people because they were scared to be happy.
And I knew that I had something to do with his fear of happiness. He was afraid it would turn out to be a lie, because that's what he thought about our relationship, but it wasn't.
The moment I saw Alexius, I knew something was going to happen between us, something that went far beyond a mere mission. This was turning into something powerful, something beautiful. And it was before I had to go and ruin it because I brought Alexius here. I shouldn't have been so cold before, I knew that, but I didn't want the others to think that I was going to be lenient with this whole thing, and I wanted to let Alexius know that I wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
"Alexius." I spoke at last. I heard his heart skip a beat before pounding violently in his chest, but to his credit, his expression remained stoic as he tried to ignore me.
"Alexius, look at me." I told him. His heart was beating harder, faster. The blood rushed heavily through his veins, making my mouth water, but I fought the hungry urge as I watched the gears in Alexius' mind churn. He narrowed his eyes and I could see his jaw clench as he tried to ignore me, but I was staring at him far too intensely for him to ignore me, so he finally turned his head to look at me.
I reached out and cupped his cheek, almost sighing relief at how smooth and soft it felt against my skin. I watched his eyes flicker and widen, but this time not in anger. I could see the fear pooling there as his eyes searched my face quickly, nervously. I stroked his cheek with my thumb, savoring the feel of his skin against mine as I drew my face closer to his.
"Don't." Alexius managed, green eyes practically glowing in warning, but I ignored him as I came so close to his face that our lips were just hovering over each other, our hot breathes mingling.
"Why are you scared?" I asked him softly, still holding his cheek, still teasing his lips with my own, watching Alexius' eyes flicker away to look at anything, but me. However, they kept returning to my face until it was like he couldn't look away, even if he wanted to.
"Because if you keep doing this, I won't be able to get away from you." He breathed at last, green eyes shining with unshed tears that tore at my heart strings. I felt like he had a grasp on my heart and was clenching it tightly in his fist. I could hear his own heart throbbing painfully in his chest, his breath catching as I touched my lips to his very gently. Just a simple lip to lip kiss, heat to heat.
And yet, there was so much in that simple kiss. So many emotions that tore through me, making a typhoon seem like a simple rainstorm. I could see all of it reflected back at me in Alexius' eyes and I watched as another rarity happened.
The same crystal tears that glittered in the sunlight spilled over his dark lashes, falling down his face as he timidly reached up, placing his hands on either side of my face. I did the same, holding him close now so our foreheads were touching. I watched, partially agonized and somehow partially relieved as Alexius cried again, green eyes shimmering and searching my face to find some kind of lie, but there was none.
I loved Alexius.
I would do anything for Alexius.
"I can't," Alexius managed at last, his voice trembling as I studied his face, feeling his hands grip me tighter, "I can't do it anymore... I don't want this to happen again. I don't want to have you lie to me again. Stop hiding things from me. Stop pretending that I won't understand." I felt an icy chill course up my spine line a snake at his voice filled with tears, tears that ran down his cheeks like precious water. I kissed him again on the lips, this time a little longer. Our lips fit together perfectly, like puzzle pieces that were meant to be together. I could taste the salty tears that fell down his face.
"I won't," I told him softly, stroking his cheeks to wipe his tears away, "I won't hurt you, Alexius. Never again."
"It wouldn't matter," Alexius choked as if he was just realizing something himself, his eyes locking with mine, "Beat me. Choke me. Stab me. Lie to me. Hate me. And I have a feeling that I'll still feel like this for you." Pain clenched around my heart and I wrapped my arms around Alexius entirely, taking him against my chest, feeling him wrap his arms around me in return, fists clenching in my shirt tightly as he buried his face against my shoulder. I cradled him close to my chest, afraid to breath for the pain that made my chest tight and achy. I could feel a lump damn close to bursting free from my throat, so close to becoming the sobs of pain that Alexius wrenched out into my shoulder.
I promise, Alexius. I promise. I swear on all that is sacred that I will never beat you, never choke you, never stab you, never lie, never hate. I will never hurt you in any way, shape, or form.
If I had to see you fall apart like this again, I wouldn't be able to take it anymore. I wouldn't be able to stop the grips of insanity trying to tear me to pieces.
I couldn't speak. I didn't trust myself to. I didn't want to cry, not in front of Alexius. I didn't want him to realize that I was a lot weaker inside than I portrayed, especially when it came to him. Alexius had slowly become everything to me. I had enjoyed those few moments when I woke up to find him lying next to me, green eyes wide and staring straight ahead as if he couldn't believe that sex was passionate and brimming with affection. Those times when I held him in my arms and he gripped me tight to him, impaling himself on me willingly. The way he breathed in my scent as if it were something precious, kissing me desperately as if he were afraid someone would take me away.
I love Alexius. Forever and eternity.
And I knew Alexius felt the same and that a part of him would from now on expect me to lie to him, and that's what hurt me the most. That he was head over heels with me and didn't care if I hurt him, but I would never give him a reason to cry again. Never.
Alexius pulled away from me, covering his mouth and nose for a moment, his cheeks flushed from crying, his eyelashes and cheeks wet with tears. He hesitated, then wiped under his bloodshot eyes with a thumb to keep away the tears before he looked at me. I stared back at him before he shifted out of the sand so he was sitting in my lap, facing me. He ran his fingers through my hair, ducking his head down to bury against my throat.
I sucked in a sharp breath as I felt his tongue touching my bare skin, fangs teasing the flesh there before he withdrew to touch our foreheads together. I ran my hands down his back, relishing at the familiarity of it, the smoothness and the muscles that were pulled taut. I let my hands rest on his buttocks, massaging the firm mounds that were tight under his pants.
"Alexius," I murmured as he dipped his head down to kiss at my lips before he waited for me to speak, our eyes boring into each other, "I will never, ever hurt you again. I will never make you cry, never make you hurt. I swear to you." Alexius' eyes glowed at that before he wrapped his arms around me, pulling my head against his chest so I could hear his heart fluttering in his chest.
He didn't need to say anything. His heart said plenty to me. We pulled apart so he could dip his head down and kiss me. Our lips parted this time, tongues lashing out at each other hotly, saliva breaking between us before Alexius bit on my lower lip, pulling it before licking at my fangs. Chills spread through me as I moaned, savoring the attention he gave me, the feel of our skin together.
I couldn't tell for sure if Alexius forgave me or not, but I would spend the rest of eternity making it up to him. He would never want for anything. I would give him whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. I wouldn't lie to him, wouldn't hurt him. I wanted to give him everything he deserved to have and more.
He had gone through enough pain already. It was about time he finally gained something from all of this suffering. And even if it was just me, I would give him all of me. I would give him my very soul to play with as he pleased, anything to keep those tears away, to keep that precious smile on his beautiful, soft lips.
He pushed me back in the sand, the heat of it warming my back as he pulled his shirt off over his head, dropping it in the sand. I lifted myself up again, reaching out to feel his chest, the tight, slender muscles beneath his warm skin. Alexius threaded his fingers through my hair, sharp nails very gently scraping my scalp like a soothing massage. I moaned at the feeling of it, bringing my lips to a pert nipple, tasting it. The saltiness of the wind clung to Alexius' skin, making it taste all the more delicious as I wrapped my arms around his torso, licking and pulling at his nipple with my teeth, very carefully brushing my fang against it.
Alexius tilted his head back and moaned, breathing the salty air in deeply. He cocked his head to the side, massaging my scalp as I sucked on his nipples until they were hard and pink. I licked a hot path between his pecs, listening to him purr deep inside his chest before he withdrew his hands from my hair, pushing me back down into the sand. He scooted down, dipping his head near my groin and using his teeth to pull the zipper of my jeans down. I watched him intently, the way his green eyes shimmered and for a moment, I swore he was going to cry again, but he didn't. He just shut his eyes and delicately took me into his hands, working his fingers against the skin in a way that made me groan and growl deep in my throat.
He dipped his head down, poking the tip of me with his tongue before running it up and down my shaft, tasting me. My skin tingled and my heart beat sped up, jumping into overdrive as I watched Alexius' lips lock themselves around me, sliding up and down before he kissed the top. He let go of me, bringing him to straddle me. He rose up on his knees on top of me, reaching down and undoing the clasp on his pants.
I felt like I should say something, anything, but I waited patiently, just watching Alexius work himself out of his pants, the material peeling off his skin. He tossed them aside, getting back down on his knees over me. Waves crashed to the shore, water reaching out to pool around us now, making the sand wet and I dug my toes into the silky smooth sand. Alexius ignored the way his knees sank about an inch down and positioned himself over to pof me, his hands resting on my chest as he watched me with a look so intense that I almost came right then and there.
I just barely managed to continue myself as I watched Alexius bring his fingers to his lips, sucking on them seductively. He twirled his tongue around his fingers, rolling it around the tips of them before he drew his hand behind him, spreading his cheeks and digging his fingers inside of himself. He winced for a split second, then closed his eyes and worked his fingers around inside of him. My cock jerked at the sight of him kneeling over me, fingering himself deeply enough to make him bite his lip.
He finally withdrew his fingers, placing both hands on my chest as he lowered himself down on top of me, his tight muscles clenching for a moment before relaxing, allowing me passage into his heat. I moaned at the way he felt, fully engulfing me. Alexius shivered, breathing heavily as he tried to adjust for the moment. I sat up a little, shifting and making Alexius gasp and grab onto my shoulders.
I smiled, wrapping my arms around him as I sat there in the wet sand; Alexius in my lap with his hands sliding over my shoulders, then sinking into my hair and tightening around the locks. I leaned closer to his face, nuzzling his cheek and listening to him breath gently before he slowly started to rock his hips against me. I growled low in my throat, bolts of electrifying pleasure lacing through me like the powerful hands of a god.
"I love you, Alexius," I breathed, wrapping my arms around him tighter and pulling him closer, my lips touching his ear, "I love you so much. I love you more than anything in this world. I'm sorry you've suffered, sorry that I was no help to it before, but I'll change all of that, I promise. I'll make you so happy. I'll do anything for you... Gods, I love you so much, Alexius. I love you." Alexius moaned, digging his nails into my skin as he clung to me, burying his face against my throat for a moment before tilting his head back to look at me, breathing hard. I watched the sunlight bounce off those shining emerald eyes, black slitted pupil dilated with lust and passion.
He moved his hands so he was cupping my face, eyes searching mine as he somehow managed to continue grinding himself down on top of me, bringing closer and closer to the peak. My body trembled as he moved a bit harder, striking something deep inside him that made him gasp and blink quickly before he moaned, touching our foreheads together.
"That's what this is," He breathed against me, his breath hot and sweet against my face, "That's why I can't let you go, why I can't hate you, why the very thought of living without you is unbearable." He kissed me deeply now, stealing my breath away and bringing me on the brink of a powerful orgasm. What sent me over the edge were his next words, spoken in a blissful whisper.
"I love you, Killian... I love you."
I saw stars dance across my vision as my body shuddered in release, exploding inside of Alexius who trembled in orgasm as he clung to me, panting and mewling as he ground himself harder onto me, succeeding in another lightening flash of pleasure ripping through me. Alexius rode me long and hard, clutching to me as if I were his only life line.
By the time we finished, we were sweating and breathing hard, lying in the wet sand, our legs tangled together, arms around each other. It was something I'd never once imagined doing with anyone, and yet, here I was.
"Alexius," I murmured after a while, breaking the natural sounds of the ocean that sang in the air, "I have something else I need to tell you." Alexius sighed, frustrated as he dug his nails none-too-kindly in my back, making me grimace.
"We just had make up sex. If you plan to piss me off again any time today, you can forget about more make up sex later." He muttered, closing his eyes. I smiled lightly, reaching a hand up to touch his cheek, his eyes flickering open to look up at me. I stroked his cheek with my knuckles gently, studying his face before my smile melted.
"It's important, and I learned that holding off on important things is a bad idea." I admitted, making Alexius frown before he nodded slowly.
"All right..." He responded quietly. I could feel him bracing himself and it broke my heart to know that it was my fault. He wasn't going to trust me so easily again. It would take time to rebuild all the trust we'd had between us, but I was prepared for that.
"Lothos told you about your father, correct?" I asked. Alexius looked surprised at the mention of him before he frowned, nodding slowly again. I hesitated now, watching Alexius study my face before he sighed, pulling away from me.
"Alexius?" I asked, watching him sit up and shake the sand from his arms, the tiny grains falling back to the ground. I sat propped myself up on my elbow to look up at him as he rested his arms on his slightly bent knees, toes wiggling into the wet sand before he cocked his head, eyes bored.
"He's already dead, isn't he?" He asked. I blinked, sitting up completely now.
"How... How did you know?" I asked, uneasy. I waited for him to get angry or bitter, but he seemed more wistful now as he reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind his hair, the wind only blowing it back into his face again before he reached up to stroke one of his horns, then dropping his arm onto his knee again.
"Just something about it all... It seemed too good to be true." He murmured, eyes searching the sea as if it had all the answers. I sighed, shaking the sand out of my hair as I crossed my legs.
"I'm sorry, Alexius. I know how badly you wanted to get rid of him." I replied quietly. Alexius surprised me by laughing. It was more of a half-hearted laugh, though. Nothing full and hearty. A very faint smile touched his lips.
"I don't think I really wanted to anyway. I don't know what I would've done if I ever came in contact with that man. Maybe I'd choke up at the last minute, kill him without asking questions, ask questions and end up with him killing me, or hell, he could've done to me what he did to my mother... But it doesn't matter. He's dead. He got what he deserved... Right?" He looked at me now and I nodded in agreement.
"Yes. He was hanged for his crimes, Alexius. He deserved what he got." I agreed. Alexius sighed in relief, then closed his eyes and breathed in deeply before letting it out in a smooth breath. He looked relaxed, calm. I smiled in relief, tilting my head to look at him before I looked up at the sky, the sun ducking behind a clump of clouds.
"Well," I said at last, "We should go. Gracie wants to have lunch with everyone." Alexius frowned now.
"I don't know if I want to go." He admitted uneasily, shifting in the sand a little. I frowned, looking at him in concern.
"Why not?" I asked, watching him look down at the sand. He reached around his legs, digging his fingers into the wet sand, trying to dig a hole that was only covered back up with sand as the water washed up on shore again, only to pull back moments later.
"I don't feel like I belong with them," He muttered, searching the sand before he looked up to stare out at the ocean, "We're all cambions, and I expected to feel at home amongst them, but it's the exact opposite. I feel out of place. They all know each other, all experienced similiar life styles. They're all... friendly." I smiled lightly, reaching out to run my fingers through his hair as he turned his head to look at me. I brushed the hair from his face, wiped sand off his cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, his eyes watching me curiously.
"That's perfectly normal, Alexius," I told him, watching him give me a doubtful stare before I nodded, "It's true. No one feels at place when they move to a different place. I wasn't pleased when I first moved to my home in the vampyre realm. I wanted to go back to Atlantis, but I couldn't. There was nothing to go back to. And the more time I spent in the vampyre realm, the more time I got to know everyone, the more comfortable I became."
"And what will you do now?" Alexius asked. I paused at that, averting my eyes to watch the ocean waves clap onto the shore, then withdraw into the depths. I frowned, then turned to Alexius, who was staring at me.
"Well. It looks like you won't be alone in trying to adjust to this place. Because I'm not leaving." I responded, watching Alexius raise an eyebrow at that.
"What'll your council buddies think of that?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, reaching out and pulling Alexius against me, watching him flail a little to try and regain his balance, but it was no use. I pulled him so his head was resting in my lap, looking down at him with a smile to see him staring up at me.
"I am also a council member. I use my power to remain here. The council needs a representative from each realm, and I volunteer to become the representative of the cambion." I told him, watching him blink and look up at me in surprise.
"But you're not a cambion. And what about the vampyre realm?"
"There are vampyres who've been vying for my position for ages now. Let's watch them fight to the death for it."
"Mmm, I like it when you talk like that." Alexius purred, reaching up to place his hands on my cheeks, drawing me down for a kiss that made my senses whirl. I parted my lips against his, tasting him, savoring him. He broke us apart to look up at me with hooded green eyes.
"I... love you, Killian." He murmured. My chest felt tight, pressured with emotions that threatened to spill over, but I caught myself and smiled down at Alexius lovingly, reaching down to stroke his cheek with my fingertips.
"And I love you, Alexius." I replied, watching Alexius breath a sigh of relief and love, as if he couldn't imagine any words to sound better. I smiled, leaning down to touch my forehead to his, cradling him close to me as we sat on the beach for a while longer.
I'm sure lunch could wait just a little bit longer.