Darien's POV:
I did not like being in this place. The howling storm outside wasn't something that I would have wanted Serena out in though. Between the whipping winds and torrential downpour, the light tent would not have held up. Exposure to the cold and wet in a storm like this would have posed a serious threat to Serena's health.
It hadn't taken much to convince the people here that they wanted to deliver an evening meal to our room. I knew my mood was mostly uncalled for, but I couldn't bring myself to care. For the last thirty years, I had been in a place where I had been actively hostile towards everyone around me. I had not been known for my patience before then either.
Word must have spread fast since no one else had glared at Serena. It didn't escape my attention that many refused to look at her and any basic courtesy given to her was forced. It angered me, but Serena had relaxed more now that they were no longer so openly hostile.
Alex put the plates on the table as he unloaded the basket of food that had been delivered to our door. I kept tabs on Serena's shifting footsteps as she finished up her shower. I tried to keep thoughts of her without clothing out of my head. It was a distraction that I did not need at the moment. Besides, I knew she wasn't ready for that kind of step yet.
The bond had worked wonders with our relationship, but even it could only do so much so fast. It had only been four days after all. Almost all of that time had been spent on the run, in hiding, or with her being threatened. Those details did not impress me either.
Alex went to his room for a moment before coming out with some of our own food supplies. We had a suite with a common living room, two bedrooms, and a shared bathroom. I was leaning against the wall by the bathroom door, but I recognized the food in his hands as things that Serena had eaten in the past.
Alex had no knowledge of her humming magic, so he was trying to play it as safe as he could. Even with my knowledge of her magic, I was fairly paranoid. I had no idea how reliable her magic might be or if it was even working at all. It was just a short hum.
My arms ached to hold Serena again, to know she was truly safe. The bond had settled and the separation wasn't actually painful, but my nerves and my distrust of this place were making it unnecessarily uncomfortable.
The shower turned off and I waited. It wasn't long before the bathroom door opened and Serena appeared in clean clothes with damp hair. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned against me. It was a relief to have her back in my arms. Her touch soothed my irritation and levelled out my temper. Considering how the faintest lines of tension left her body, the bond had been affecting her as well.
I pulled her onto my lap as I sat down at the table. Alex was already putting food on his plate. I closely examined the dishes present. The fruit in the bowl should all be fine. The bread was safe since she had eaten a similar type before. Thankfully, she didn't like spicy food, so that made it easier to eliminate potentially toxic foods. If it was spicy for me, then it was likely not something a human should try.
I tried to give her as much variety as I could, and she would take more of something if she really liked it. I took note of those dishes. She was polite and always cleared her plate even though I could tell that she had not really liked some of the things she had tried. I took note of those as well. Her odd humming seemed unintentional and meditative, but I knew its true purpose.
My ability to read people had been getting a workout the last few days with her. I had previously considered my reading ability to be more or less useless since it didn't work unless I was close to someone or actually in direct contact with them. Even then, it usually only showed their dominant emotions. It had gained new status in my estimation lately.
It allowed me to pick up Serena's emotions if I was in contact with her, which was most of the time. The one gift it gave me was the ability to watch her dreams. I could lie there forever watching the faint images flicker through her mind like fireflies in the dark.
A loud crack of lightning made Serena jump a bit. Since I was in contact with her, the bond barely stirred. My eyes glanced at the window as it shook from the force of the thunder. No one would be moving in a storm like this. The rain practically came down in buckets.
I gently traced my finger over Serena's arm and smiled slightly as a trail of goosebumps followed where my finger had touched. The unconscious reaction was further proof that our bond was fairly strong. It must have been quite distracting since she tilted her head to look up at me. Amusement danced in her brown eyes.
An image of my own expression crossed my senses. She was getting quite good at projecting an image, and I could pick it up fairly easily if I was using my reading ability. It was a pity that I had no way to share an image of her own breathtaking smile with her.
The image of my face reminded me of a lovestruck lover and I was amazed that Alex was actually able to eat with how we were gazing at one another. He must have had plenty of experience from his own parents doing something similar. I knew he had always wanted something similar and had hunted most of his life for his soulmate without success.
He was prepared to defend our bond because he considered the soulmate bond sacred and yet people were trying to destroy it. I had read him very carefully more than a few times. He was somewhat envious and longed for something similar, but he felt nothing more than friendship towards Serena. He saw her as more of a niece than anything else.
We moved to the sitting area once we were done eating. Alex and I went over which routes would be the best to take. Several hours later, Serena started yawning and I picked her up in my arms as I carried her to our room. She protested lightly that she could walk, but it was just for show. I could sense that she didn't really mind it at this point; the bond was once more working in my favor.
I pushed the covers back without setting her down. I carefully shifted her in my arms so I could lay back on the bed with her across my chest. She leaned a bit to the side and slid off my chest to lie nestled against me.
I watched her with a loving expression as she cuddled up against me. I could sense that sleeping across my chest still somewhat embarrassed her. I would keep trying though, the bond was on my side and in a few days it wouldn't bother her.
She must have been tired since her breathing levelled out quickly. I felt protective of the fragile female who trusted me so as she slept beside me. I watched her for some time, but her sleep was too deep for dreams, much to my disappointment. She would likely dream later on.
My hair itched slightly, it had been days since I last had a shower. This was as good of a time as any. I carefully eased out of the bed and ensured the covers were tucked in around her before I walked silently to the door. I paused and looked back as she curled up in her sleep, but she didn't wake.
She looked so innocent and vulnerable when she slept. I didn't want to leave her. I had to shower at some point though, before she told me that I stunk. With a heavy sigh, I exited the room. Alex was reading a book on the couch and looked up as I walked over.
"Can you watch her while I grab a shower?"
He nodded and put his book down before going into Serena's room. I headed for the shower knowing that Alex would sit at the foot of her bed. He had too much fighting experience to trust to the safety of his charge if he couldn't see them. He had centuries of fighting training and had fought in numerous battles. At his age, he was still mostly in his prime and would be quite a serious challenge in a fight.
I turned on the water and growled lowly as the splashing water covered up the sound of Serena's heartbeat in the next room. It didn't take me long to shower and get dressed, but I felt better for it. I frowned as I realized that I still couldn't hear Serena's heartbeat. I wasn't picking up Alex's either.
I practically tackled the door down in my rush to get out. It took me only seconds to get to her room. The scene in front of me chilled me to my core. Alex was unconscious on the ground and covered in blood with several arrows sticking out of his body as glass from the shattered window was scattered across the floor. The arrow in his throat showed why he hadn't shouted a warning. I could hear his weak heartbeat at this close range.
I looked around frantically and even checked under the bed in case she had hidden there, but Serena was not in the room. My rage and fury rose like a tidal wave as my roar shook the remaining windows.