"Her love happened to me a hundred times at once,
in a thousand different ways,
in a million different colors."
_________________________
"Alexius, I'm scared."
A lone tear slid down my cheek as we approached the throne room, my arms were still held firmly behind me, and my body was being pushed forward by the wolves who'd caught us.
My brother glanced back at me, a pained expression painted on his face. "Alexandria-"
He was cut off by the voice of our captor. "Oh for fucks sake, this isn't some shitty hollywood movie. Just shut the fuck up."
I visibly winced at his language, my mind unaccustomed to such words.
Meanwhile, Alexius turned his dark gaze to the man, his eyes burning with something I'd never seen before.
He's never looked so angry.
"Curse around my sister again," he growled lowly, his eyes shining a bright angry gold with the tiniest flecks of burnt coal, just like fathers. "I dare you."
Although this man clearly had the upper hand, the look on my half brothers face was seemingly enough to get him to fall silent.
Instead, he pushed the grand doors open, revealing the main hall that I'd grown up playing with my dolls in. However, today it was tainted with the thick metallic smell of blood that permeated the air.
The blood of my people...
When Alexius and I both paused in our steps at the sight of all those familiar lifeless bodies, the men pushed us in, forcing me to land harshly on the ornate marble floor.
"Sweetheart?"
My body went rigid the moment that voice reached my ears.
"Mama?"
Pushing my hair out of my face, I glanced up, and my mother's honey colored eyes met my own.
She was a mess.
Those long strands of brown hair that flowed down past her hips were completely tangled, and her torn evening gown was painted a crimson red.
My father was right beside her, a gentle hand resting on her shoulder. He looked as though he'd aged a decade in this one night.
I immediately ran towards them, and launched myself into my mother's arms, the remaining tears already threatening to spill. "What's happening, mom?"
She said nothing, instead choosing to pull me impossibly closer. "It's alright, my darling, calm down. Your heart is beating so fast I can hear it."
"But mama-"
"Alexandria," my father cut in, his voice still as strong as before, but even now I could hear his perfectly hidden distress. "How'd they find you two? I told Alexius to take you down to the dungeons."
I blinked away the water in my eyes, and met his gaze. "They ambushed us in the hallway, and dragged us back here."
My father seemed as though he was about to say something, but we were interrupted by a new voice.
"Oh, would you look at this cute reunion," the same wolf from earlier cut in, his words laced with a bitter resentment. "Too bad you'll all be saying goodbye soon."
I pulled away from my mother to glance up at the man, taking note of how he wasn't the only unfamiliar person in this room.
Everywhere I looked there was another animal, all of them carrying weapons of their own. Guns loaded with bullets and perfectly forged swords, all prepared to serve their purposes.
We were surrounded.
I watched as Alexius finally broke away from the man who held him and rushed towards the center of the room, where we all stood, surrounded by the limp bodies of our court. "Are you alright?" he immediately asked, looking me up and down as though he were searching for injuries.
"I'm fine," I replied softly, my eyes still searching the throne room. "Father, what's happening?"
My father looked down at me, his pale white strands of hair falling in front of his face. He leaned down, his hands landing on my shoulders. "Do you remember how we spoke about the mistakes people often make?"
I nodded my head, waiting for him to continue. "Well, one of our own may have committed a grave sin."
"But that has nothing to do with us!"
Father shook his head, his face serious. "The royal family represents the people, Alexandria, you must always remember that."
I wanted to argue, to tell him that I didn't understand, and have him explain it again until it could process within my mind. But it was too late.
We had all been gathered here for a reason. Every member of the Sparrow bloodline, and all of my father's ranking advisors.
But why? Why was this happening?
The answer to my question came a moment later when two men walked through the doors.
They smelled just like the others. That same scent that was unique to werewolves. But one of them had this strange aura of power, parallel only to my father.
"King Artemis," my father bit out, the sudden anger and bitterness in his tone surprising me. "What is the meaning of this?"
The King glared back at my father, his pale blue eyes unrelenting. And the man who'd walked in with him, shared the same look.
I'd never seen eyes so bright in my life. They were so blue, the color wrapping around his dilated pupils, almost prepared to overtake them like an ocean wave with the warm sands of a beach.
The two men looked very similar...
Their only clear difference was their rank.
"Alexandria!"
I looked around when I heard an unfamiliar voice calling my name, my brows furrowing in confusion as everything suddenly became distant. The figures of my mother and father blurred and twisted until they were completely unidentifiable, and the image of myself in a ball room slowly dwindled into complete and utter darkness.
***********************
I awoke with a start, my heart beating so fast I could barely even catch my breath. And the first thing my eyes caught sight of was that same bright cerulean blue, parallel only to the oceans magnificent hues. They were swirling with genuine concern as their owner held me tighter in his embrace.
It was only then that I remembered what I had been dreaming of.
Another vision, huh?
He must've woke me up when he heard my heartbeat speeding up as I was forced to recount the worst memories that my mind holds in its deepest, most constrained chambers.
Even now, he was still calling my name, but I couldn't hear it. My mind was still caught up in what I had seen last night. I could only hear my pain and sorrows. Only those anxious thoughts that I'd flung to the back of my conscious, but were now resurfacing.
My family...
"Moon, what happened?"
I immediately sat up, quickly pulling away from him to avoid any false notions of trust between us. I had yet to forgive him, and even now I couldn't will myself to remain in his arms for any longer than necessary.
Ducking my face into my hands, I rubbed the pads of my fingers over the skin of my warm forehead, before allowing them to disappear into my hair. "Nothing, nothing, I'm fine," I reassured him, already knowing he wouldn't believe me, but still saying those words.
Maybe simply to reassure myself instead.
"No, you're not. I can still hear your heartbeat, Alexandria, don't lie to me," was his blatant response, and I knew for a fact that he was frowning in disapproval, but I still didn't look up.
He'd read right through me. He'd see the fear in my eyes, and the anxieties overwhelming my soul. I knew he would.
When I said nothing in response to his words, he also fell silent, instead choosing to lean back, his eyes sliding away from me. "I suppose you're not obligated to tell me," he murmured quietly, a distinct amount of sadness in his voice. "But don't simply brush it off. This is the third time this has happened."
He was right.
And yet, I still said nothing, my eyes pinned to the mattress as though the deep blue painted silks would offer me some sort of solace.
Livius got up, leaving me to my own thoughts, and only then did I glance up at him, my eyes taking in his glorious form. He was already dressed in a formal suit, his hair brushed back, and the royal crest resting over his chest.
"Sebastien will drop by in an hour or so with a surprise for you," he murmured, finally meeting my gaze. "If you want to talk, you know where to find me."
My eyes flickered shut when his lips met my forehead, his warm hand coming up to cup my cheek before his touch faded away just as fast as it had appeared. Funny how I had convinced myself not to trust him, and yet I still allowed these gentle caresses.
I'm such a hypocrite.
The door softly clicked shut behind him, but I couldn't help but notice the way the handle was still pointed downwards for a few moments afterwards, showing his hesitance to leave me with nothing but my distress as company.
*********************
I took a long shower, the water not enough to frighten me as I forced myself to relax.
Once done, I lathered on one of the many luxurious lotions Maria had purchased for me. Finally, I slipped on a pair of workout leggings along with a sports bra, and settled down to brush my hair.
It was only then that the doors were thrown open, and Sebastien sauntered in, his eyes alight with an indisputable amount of glee. He was absolutely glowing with happiness, and I couldn't help but wonder why.
Brushing a hand through my brown locks, I took note of how much longer it had gotten since I'd arrived. It ran down several inches past my hips, the strands brushing my upper thighs.
"Oh, great!" Sebastian exclaimed while clapping his hands excitedly. "You're awake!"
I gave him a pointed look. "It's 11 pm."
He returned it. "Don't ruin my mood, young lady. I'm having a good ass day today."
"Can't relate."
"You will soon."
I blinked up at him, my head briefly tilting to the side in curiosity, before I shrugged and grabbed my phone, prepared to head down and begin training with General Levon.
His jaw dropped, those warm brown eyes widening in disbelief. "You're not going to ask why?"
"No."
Sebastien's face twitched in aggravation. "What was that?"
"I said, I'm not interested."
"You're dying to know?" he said instead, completely ignoring my blatant disinterest while waving a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Sweetheart, you should've said so earlier."
"But I-"
"Aw, you really are a curious little thing, aren't you?" he cut me off, choosing to essentially have a conversation with himself.
I held back a tired groan when he suddenly grabbed my wrist, and began tugging me outside. "Well, come on then. We don't have all day."
Sighing, I chose to humor him, a part of me slightly grateful for his company. Was this the 'surprise' Livius had mentioned earlier? I had been too frazzled to even register his words and question him about it.
Stopping in front of an ornate set of large double doors at the other end of the Royal wing, I admired the golden details that swirled gracefully around the door frame like a waterfall of golden honey.
Sebastian let go of my wrist, and moved to stand in front of the door. "A little background info, before I show you this," he began, and I pouted tiredly while crossing my arms.
"Don't look at me like that," he warned, narrowing his eyes on me before clearing his throat and returning to his topic. "As you know, there are things that I can't afford with my meager salary, so I'd just like to mention that none of this came out of my pocket, and I essentially just had a shopping spree with your mates credit card at 1 am and this is the result."
"I lost you at meager salary. Aren't you one of the executives of Artemis Enterprises?" I pointed out incredulously.
He pouted. "I'm still not a billionaire, like the Alpha."
"Maybe you can be his mate then."
Sebastian playfully slapped my shoulder at that, and I let out a laugh, my shoulders shaking at his obvious frustration.
He rolled his eyes, clearly not amused by my words. "Anyway, I can't normally go on shopping sprees like this, so when your mate finally gave me the opportunity to, Maria and I realized that your tiny little walk in closet won't be enough for it all."
"So," he cleared his throat dramatically, one of his hands landing on the door handle. "I'd like to welcome you to your new closet."
I giggled at his theatrics, but the moment I caught sight of the large room, my eyes widened like a child who thought they saw Santa running across a chimney.
Piles of bags and boxes sat atop each other, a mix of brand names circling around the room, all untouched, and unaltered. Some perfectly wrapped, and enclosed with black ribbons, while the others sat in gift bags, with tissue paper poking out of the top.
However, what truly surprised me the most was that it wasn't just five or ten bags, no, there were so many that they could barely fill up this spare room.
Was this the human approach I had been talking about?
No, not quite.
Sebastian stepped in behind me, his hands resting proudly on his hips as he also took in the room. Almost as though he read my thoughts, he seemed to happily answer the question that'd bubbled up to my conscious. "I blew like a good one or two million."
He strode past me, an excited smile lighting up his face. "There's another room by the way. And just wait until you see the car."
Yea, this was definitely not the human approach.
I couldn't help but feel slightly uncertain. I couldn't accept this. Millions of dollars worth of gifts? Livius couldn't keep showering me with expensive things. Retail therapy would get us nowhere, and he knew that.
So what was this for?
Knowing him, he probably decided to do this on a whim. After all, when you have so much money at your fingertips, what else can you do with it?
At least he was financially stable?
I glanced around the room, my nose slightly scrunching up at the thought.
This is miles past stable.
Disappearing through a door on the other side of the room, Sebastian returned carrying a medium blue gift bag with the words Tiffany & Co. printed on the front in a clear font.
I didn't miss the way he smiled to himself, he too knowing what Livius was doing, and what this meant. Even he was relieved that the whole Cruella situation had cleared up.
"Oh, and His Majesty told me to give this to you personally," he said, offering me the bag as I raised my brows disbelievingly.
Sebastian gestured at a pile of bags on the far right corner that looked identical. "I bought you a ton of things from there too, so I had to keep this one separate to make sure I didn't lose it amongst the others. This bag is probably the most expensive thing in this room. Besides me of course."
I rolled my eyes at his words, my lips slightly quirking up at his self-confidence. "What's in it?" I asked, slightly weighing it in my hands.
"I've been dying to find out!" he groaned, as we stepped deeper into the room, careful not to step on anything.
Pulling out a medium sized box painted a gorgeous shade of aqua blue, I handed Sebastien the bag and thanked him when he held it for me. I paused for a moment before opening it, a part of me intimidated by the unforeseen extravagance.
Finally, I gently undid the ribbon around the box, before sliding it open.
Sebastien gasped beside me as both our eyes caught sight of the diamond ring at the center of the box, the gem reflecting the sunlight that poured into the room, and shining its rays on the ceiling above me. The diamond looked like something straight out of those animations, where the jewel would flicker, and dance, and shimmer beneath even the slightest bit of light.
It could almost be an engagement ring, if it weren't for the tiny violet gems...
But I knew Livius would never propose to me like this. Not unless he was absolutely certain I would say yes. No, this was a step before it. Most people got promise rings. It seemed my mate had something else in mind.
"Wow," Sebastien finally said, letting out a puff of air. "He's a keeper."
I snorted at his shock, my eyes following him as he glanced down at it almost as though trying to find out whether he could get one for himself too. "Girl, you better glue that shit to your finger. If you lose it, you're fucked."
"How much do you think it was?" I mumbled, refusing to even touch it. He was right, if I lost it, I would probably lose my mind.
To be honest, Livius could give me a ring made of tin foil with red plastic at its center, and I'd still be upset if I lost it.
Sebastien thought for a few moments, trying to get a good idea. "I'd say a couple mil-"
I slammed the box shut with a resounding click before he could even finish his sentence, quickly returning it into the bag."I'm returning it to him."
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me."
"Can I have it?"
I gave him another pointed look. "If I can't wear a couple million dollars on my finger without losing it, then you can't either. It'd be gone within a day."
"I don't lose things," he huffed, turning away from me.
"That explains the attitude," I muttered under my breath.
"You're rude."
I let out a laugh, watching as he gave me an offended look at my comment, and fully turned away.
"I'm going to go spend some time with someone who appreciates me," he added, whilst beginning to walk away.
I smiled knowingly. "We all know you had to leave soon anyway."
Sebastian said nothing, instead choosing to stick his tongue out at me, while using his index finger to pull at the skin beneath his right eye, successfully bringing the iconic expression to life.
I let out another laugh at the sight of him, my mind still unable to acknowledge the fact that this man helped lead the werewolf kingdom.
Before he left, his eyes flickered back to me. "You're right," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, that childish expression falling from his face. "I do have work that I need to get back to, but Damien will be here with you soon."
I truly couldn't imagine him hunched over a desk working, but apparently it was true.
"And I'm taking you out shopping tomorrow!" he added, whilst pointing a direct finger at me, while I scrunched my face up in confusion and gestured at this entire room.
He tsked at me as though he were correcting a child on a basic concept. "Now, Alexandria, you should know this by now. When you're Queen, you can never have too many things."
I shook my head in disbelief as he gave me a quick wink before striding off, his musky scent of pine cones and burning wood leaving the room along with him.
Sighing, I refocused on the gift bag in front of me, my hand reaching forward to unfold the card that also sat inside.
The first of many gifts, my moon. A perfectly cut diamond, encircled by the December Birthstone: Tanzanite. A magnificent ring for my rose in the winter.
-Livi
I blinked down at the card for a few more moments, my eyes sliding over his elegant handwriting over and over again.
This man...
I was still so upset with him, and even after I blatantly ignored him this morning, he still went through with this. He still wrote me these words. These flattering, honey coated words.
Where on earth did he get this idea from?
Those were my only thoughts as I took the box in my hand and strode out of the room. I headed straight to his private study, my eyes catching sight of the door as I began internally debating what to say.
I was honored, yes. But, I didn't want a million dollar ring and a pile of gifts.
I wanted the most valuable thing any human could give another.
Their time.
I wish he could see that.
But he was always so busy. Everything we did together only lasted a mere evening, and then after that he'd go back to governing a nation.
I understand that this isn't a time to be needy, but it's really unfair.
I'd never find the courage to tell him this though. I knew of his workload. Of the all nighters. Of the meetings, and the letters. And the business on top of that. It made sense that he'd have no time.
"I've never hated being King until I met you, Alexandria," was what he'd once said to me beneath the night sky, the burning stars as his witness. And yet only now was I truly understanding the depth of his words.
Back then, I'd been so caught up with his presence that I barely noticed them. I truly missed what we had. Our sweet kisses, and fervent exchanges of words. Our lack of awkwardness, and the presence of something more than a mere bond.
And if we were ever to rebuild that. That perfect depiction of love and contentment, it'd have to start with more than short midnight conversations, and brief picnics. More than fleeting smiles, and unheard words that are on the tips of our tongues. More than thousands of gifts, without a single moment of true value.
Raising my hand to knock, I flushed when I heard his voice.
"Come on in, Alexandria. I won't bite."
I let out the smallest laugh at his words.
Should've known he'd catch my scent.
Fuckin Alpha senses.
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside his office, and quickly shut it behind me, the box still resting safely in my hand.
Livius glanced up from the files in front of his eyes. "I knew you'd drop by sooner or later."
Stepping closer to his desk, I watched as he leaned back into his chair, taking note of how the cuffs of his sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, revealing his toned forearms while he casually twirled a pen between his fingers.
I tossed the box in his direction, knowing he'd catch it. He didn't even seem shocked when he opened it to find the ring still inside. "Would've been nice to see it on your finger," he remarked.
Rolling my eyes, I moved to sit across from him, a persistent part of me remembering our argument the last time I was in this room.
Even now, I could flinch at his words if I thought back on them.
I'll admit, they weren't too harsh, but coming from someone you adore, anything that isn't loving is harsh, and cruel, and unpredictable.
"I can't accept it, Livius," I sighed, shaking my head. "Wearing millions of dollars on my finger is like asking to get jumped."
"I'm bringing a fight to your doorstep, I thought you'd be elated."
He chuckled at the look I gave him, the sound deep and melodic, before continuing. "Just don't think about the price, love."
"But-"
"You think it's beautiful, no?"
"Yes, of course, but-"
"Then that's all that matters," he shrugged, cutting me off. "If even the tiniest part of you thinks something is worth having, then I'd want you to own it."
"Stop spoiling me."
"Who else can I spoil?"
"I don't know! Find a charity or something."
"Already did that."
"An orphanage?"
"Artemis enterprises already sponsors thousands worldwide."
I let my shoulders sag in defeat as I leaned back, my arms crossed in front of my chest. "Is there anything that you can't or don't do?"
"Easy," he replied, giving me that same smirk that made my heart stop, and then start beating again with new reason. He stood up, coming to lean on the edge of his desk as he tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.
"I can't get you to trust me."
I met his eyes. "Trust takes time."
Another hint.
Time.
That's all I wanted.
We could go to the most boring place in the world, I don't care. I just want to get to know you, the real you. Deeper than the image you've created for the people. The image that I didn't even bother trying to look past before.
Such honest thoughts, yet all of them went unspoken and... unheard.
He gave me a fleeting smile, before reaching inside the box, and pulling out the ring Seb and I had spent minutes admiring. "This is a start, I suppose."
Before I could even begin to object, his eyes locked with mine. "What if we considered this our version of a promise ring? You can't deny me then."
"Yes, I can."
He gave me a look. One simple look that pleaded and tugged at my heartstrings. And I caved.
"May I?" he offered, glancing down at my left hand. I hesitantly extended it to him.
I watched silently as he slid it onto my ring finger, not even surprised by how it was the perfect fit. Instead it was the sparks that erupted when ever his skin made contact with my own. The way they ran up and down my arm, before fading away like a dying flame, waiting to be fanned back to life again would never fail to surprise me.
He brought my hand up to his lips, briefly kissing it, before letting it go. "The first of many," he repeated.
Once he let go of my hand, I blinked down at the lustrous ring, slightly admiring the way it looked on my finger. "Thank you," I murmured, voice laced with gratitude that I know wouldn't go unnoticed, especially not by him.
He let out another low laugh. "You never forget your manners, even when you're still slightly upset with me."
Unfortunately, he was right. My heart had managed to hold onto just the tiniest bit of lackluster resentment before it fled me, but nothing could change what was done. The past two weeks were shit, but nothing we said could alter that. He couldn't go back in time, and choose not to defend Victoria, and I couldn't-
Hmm, well then again, you never know.
Can Fae's time travel?
Focus on the situation at hand, Alexandria, stop dozing off.
I cleared my throat before standing up so that we'd be eye to eye, or rather chest to eye, but whatever. "How about we agree to never talk about the whole Cruella chapter ever again?" I offered.
He looked amused by the nickname I had given her, but nodded nonetheless.
"So are you still mad at me?"
I scowled at the question. "Of course I am. I said 'we won't speak of it,' not 'we'll forget it.'"
I was surprised when he let out a laugh, the sound pure and mellifluous. "Goddess, you're perfect."
Sticking my tongue out at him, I also allowed my own lips to quirk up.
I suppose this really was the start of a new journey for the two of us.
It seemed that we'd both make mistakes.
And we'd learn.
We'd tear each other down, and be the center of so many emotions that we could barely recognize.
We'd yell and argue, and hurl flaming insults, and curses at each other, while our mate bond acted as our mediator, and the Moon Goddess watched from aloft. We'd get on the others nerves, and be quick to anger, and only afterwards would we finally set aside our burning tempers and rekindle our bond.
Because that's simply how we were.
We'd ride over bumpy paths, or encounter broken parts of the road that needed to be rebuilt in order to keep proceeding. And it will take awhile...
But I know one thing for sure, this mate bond that has been given or rather forced upon us is no different than a kindled flame.
As long as we continued fanning it, it'll only grow.
And soon the effect it has on us will run so deep that when we as individuals explore ourselves to see who we are, we'll come to terms with the simple yet unnoticeable fact that we may be two different people, but our souls are one and the same.
Because that is how mates are chosen.
When two souls mirror each other.
Livius and I may be as opposite as day and night, but when you really pay attention, the moon is always watching while the sun burns so magnificently in the sky.
*************************
If Alexandria was a Disney Princess, who would she be? 🖤