That night, Rose woke up in her room and sat up straight, the memories from the ball flooding her mind. Alexzander had told her something, and she couldn't respond how she wanted to. "Alex!" she called, climbing out of bed and running through the passageway.
~~~At the Ball~~~
"Rose," Alex started, sitting on the bench in the maze. Rosella sat down next to him, and he took her hands in his, "I know I probably should have told you this sooner, but I was scared too."
"What is it, my love?" she asked.
"It's easier just to show you," he replied. Rose started fighting back whoever was taking over her mind but failed. Alex kissed her. She felt him move down her neck, sighing as he reached her sweet spot. Then she felt his teeth sink into her skin and jumped back.
"What the hell!?" Rose yelled.
"Rose, calm down, please," he said. "I can explain everything."
"I don't want you to explain anything!" she cried, standing up.
"Just stop a minute, please, Rose. I'll do anything you want just, please don't tell."
"I want you to leave," she said, between teeth. "I never want to see you again. You're a monster." Rose could see the hurt in his eyes before she turned to leave.
~~~Present~~~
Rose opened the passageway door to Alex's room. The only light in the room was the moonlight from the window. "What do you want?" he asked from the window, not looking back at her. Rose could hear the hurt in his voice.
"It wasn't me," she whispered.
"It sure as hell sounded like it." Rose moved towards him. "Stop, Rose." She hesitated but didn't stop. She reached out to touch his arm, but he grabbed her pinning her to the wall. The curtain closed, and all Rose could see was his silver eyes in the darkness. "I told you I would leave in the morning," he growled. "what more do you want?"
"I love you," Rose whispered, trying to get out of his grip.
"No, you don't," Alex laughed. "You're just like her. You want to use me to turn you just like she did. I'm not going through that again." Rose managed to get one hand free and slapped him.
"How dare you tell me how I feel, Alexzander!" she yelled. "or did my words mean nothing to you, before this?!" He let go of her other arm. "I just came to apologize, but if you're going to start comparing me to your previous wife, this can not happen." Rose walked to the passage door, going to pull the lever. Suddenly, his hand was on top of hers.
"I'm sorry," Alex whispered. "I wasn't thinking properly." She glanced back at him, but he refused to look at her. "Your words tonight just brought back so many memories of that night."
"None of it was true," Rose whispered. "I know what I said. You're no monster. If you are, you're not very good at it." She turned around. "I never want you to leave my side. I would like to be your wife if you'll have me." Alex cupped her cheek, kissing her.
"We still need to talk alone." He picked her up carrying her to his bed.
"I think there was something in my drink," she told him, as he set her down. "I couldn't control anything no matter how hard I tried."
"I should have realized something was off."
"I'm sorry about everything that came out of my mouth. I think the jumping was me though; you didn't exactly warn me."
"I expected you to jump, that's why I didn't go that deep." Alex looked at his bite. "You'll get used to it eventually."
"So, you'll still have me?"
"As long as you'll have me." Rose pressed her lips to his. "Is that a yes?"
"What do you think?" she asked. Alex grinned, rolling them over, so she was on his lap. "Alex!" she squealed.
"Shh!" he laughed, sitting up. "you're not supposed to be here remember." She bit her lip. "Do you want me to explain still?"
"You did promise, but only if you feel like it."
"I'll tell you, my love." Alex kissed her, nibbling on her lower lip. "You're nothing like her," he whispered, "I'm sorry for comparing you to her."
"It's alright," Rose replied, her voice just as low as his.
"My first wife, admitted to me, shortly after our marriage, that she never loved me, and only married me hoping that I would turn her," he said. "I was heartbroken, at first, but then decided that I would do as she wished, and let her go. I had hoped that she would return to me after some time, realizing her mistake."
"Did you do it?"
"No," he replied. "I was about too, but she had conceived. She asked me to anyway, but I refused since the child would not have made it through the process, and she most likely wouldn't have either. A few days later, she came to my room her stomach bleeding. I thought she'd done it to herself, but she said that when she told George she was pregnant, he attacked her. I later found out that he thought that was how we turn people."
"Is he like you?" Rose asked.
"No, he hired someone to attack you, I was taking care of that while I was gone."
"Did you try to save her?"
"I tried to, but it didn't work. George came after me and stabbed me." He took his shirt off, showing Rose his chest. "That's what this scar is." She gently touched the lighter colored skin. "Thankfully he missed my heart, but I was too weak to do anything for a while."
"Alex," she whispered, pressing her hand against his heart. "I'm sorry." He smiled, putting his hand over hers.
"I wanted to give you a chance to love me for me, and not use me for what I am. That's why I waited to tell you."
"Technically you didn't tell me."
"Vampire," he said.
"I know, but you didn't tell me you showed me."
"Would you like me to show you again?" She noticed his canines get longer, and her breath caught. Rose touched his upper lip, lifting it up slightly, to get a closer look. "Careful," he attempted to say. "they're sharp."
"Why didn't I feel them when we were kissing earlier?"
"They're shorter than my other teeth when I'm not using them."
"What makes them come out?"
"The thought of feeding."
"How long can they get?"
"I'm not going to look like a walrus, sweetheart." Rose giggled, taking her hand away, and kissing him. "They get as long as I need them to be." She moved her hair to the side, exposing her neck. Alex sat up more and pulled her against him. "Don't jump this time," he whispered, licking the spot he bit before, and then kissing a new place. "From now on, this is your warning, understand?"
"Yes, Alex." Rose felt his teeth sink in, as he held her tighter, one hand in her hair the other on her back. She closed her eyes, letting out a soft moan, her hand moving to the back of his head. "My Alexzander," she whispered. Rose tried to look down, but he growled, putting her head back where it was. "Oh!" she gasped.
"You can't move while I'm feeding, my love," he told her. "You could get hurt."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Alex kissed her.
"You don't have to apologize, sweetheart. I'm not angry about it." Rose ran her hands over his chest, then laid her head over his heart.
"How come you wanted me to bring an extra nightgown?"
"Did you?"
"No. I didn't think about it." Rose sat up. "I want to move the wedding forward."
"That was unexpected," he laughed.
"Can we?"
"We need to speak to your father, first." Rose smiled, kissing him. "When do you want to be married?"
"Next week or the week after. I just want to be yours."
"I can still do that."
"What if we get caught?"
"Do you remember what I told you about making love in public?"
"That they leave their clothes on, in case they get caught." Alex rolled them over, kissing her.
"I'll only touch you if you want me to."
"I want to know what it feels like." He grinned, capturing Rose's lips again. "Just be gentle." Alex smirked, kissing down her jaw.
"Promise," he breathed into her ear. He kissed down her throat, stopping at the top of her nightgown. He glanced up at her. "May I pull this down?" he asked. Rose nodded, and he untied the ribbon that held it closed. He pulled it just under her breasts gazing down at them. "You know what happens, right?"
"Yes," Rose replied, "And I know it's going to hurt."
"As long as you know," Alex whispered, kissing her. "This is the only time I will intentionally hurt you." She nodded, taking his hands and placing them on her breasts. He started massaging them, and she moaned, feeling a wetness grow between her legs. "You're fertile," he said suddenly, stopping his movements. "Rose, I'm sorry, we can't do this tonight."
"You can tell?"
"The way you smell tells me." Rose sat up pulling her nightgown back up. "Sweetheart, people are already going to talk about us wanting to move the wedding date up. We don't want what they are going to say to be true." She hugged him, nuzzling his neck.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too, Rose. And I never thought I could love again." Rose smiled, kissing his lips. "You can stay here tonight. I can make something up if your father comes."
"Tell him I had a nightmare and came to you when I woke up."
"I can do that." Alex got off the bed, grabbing his knife. "We need to make sure nobody finds out what I am. I've given you my blood once before."
"That was the medicine you gave me?" He cut his hand, pouring the blood into a glass.
"Yes, normally I wouldn't give you this much, but we are in danger, and I'm supposed to keep you safe." She took the glass from him, and he grabbed another glass pouring water in it. Rose drank the contents of both glasses and handed them back to him. "It'll heal the bite I gave you, and last time it took care of your headache."
"What else can it do?"
"Less than you are thinking. I can fix common ailments, but nothing major, like what I had." She looked at him confused. "I don't remember much from then, from what I remember, I was very sick, and the doctors had given up. They tried the best they could, ultimately, leaving it up to the gods to decide my fate."
"Gods?" Rose asked. "You're Greek?"
"Roman, sweetheart." Alexzander sat back down across from her. "I'm much older than I look."
"Centuries older," she mumbled. "Will you tell me everything?"
"After we know we are both safe. You aren't turned off by my age?"
"I'm not. Where did you live? Could you show it to me sometime?"
"Well, where I was born no longer exists, it burned down. But I can show you other places I have lived, just not in the past hundred or so years."
"Okay." Alex pulled the covers back and tossed most of the pillows away. "Will you ever age?"
"If I want to, I can. I like being twenty-five." Rose smiled crawling under the covers next to him. "When you turn twenty-five, I may consider aging with you."
"Only if you want to." She closed her eyes, laying her head on his chest, "Good night, Alexzander."
"Good night, my Rose. I'll carry you to your bed early in the morning. Meet me in the library when you are dressed."
"Talk to Father in the morning."
"I will."