No one else can make me feel,
The colors that you bring.
Stay with me while we grow old,
And we will live each day in springtime.
'Cause lovin' you has made my life so beautiful,
And every day of my life is filled with lovin' you.
_______________________
"Well, doesn't he work fast," I muttered with a pout, my arms crossing in dismay as the guards set down a sample box of fuckin lanterns before taking their leave.
"Hmm," Livius hummed tauntingly, his eyes surveying those budgeting documents I had brought him from Jayden's office while he casually paced around the room.
True to his word, he had messaged Mr. Vernelli the final details, and effectively put all my efforts to waste. I ended up getting absolutely nothing out of dressing up and frankly it was disappointing.
I slouched deeper into his massive chair, my feet kicking up onto his desk in irritation as I unintentionally gave him a full view of my tanned legs, and the black ankle boots I had slipped on.
My mate's eyes finally flickered over to me, his mind finally registering the fact that I was lounging behind his desk without a single care. He narrowed his eyes. "Ah, look at you throwing a mini tantrum. You're acting spoiled, my love."
"You tricked me." I frowned, my brows dipping in annoyance. "You knew from the very beginning that you could just message him the details. It's not fair."
"Says the girl who showed up just to distract me," he retorted, rolling his pale eyes.
Thankfully, I had already changed back into one of Livius' large black sweatshirts so he couldn't directly call me out on my outfit anymore, but still.
"I want a rematch."
He arched a brow. "You mean another challenge?"
"Yes."
"I won, Alexandria. Now, unless you wish to lose again, feel free to think of something," Livius told me, those sinful lips pulling up into another smirk.
Infuriating bastard.
I scowled in irritation. "You're a bully."
"And you, Alexandria, are a baby."
"Says the overgrown child himself."
"A bit rich coming from the person who's whining about losing."
"You cheated."
"Yes. And so did you," he said with a grin while he came to lean against his desk. "Try to cheat and win next time, though. Else there really is no point, love."
"I'm not giving you that favor."
He gave another grin. "Honor your word, moon."
"You don't deserve it," I muttered, flicking my gaze away.
He only chuckled before coming to lay his left hand on the armrest of his chair, while his right hand played with a loose strand of my hair. "Who knew you'd be such a sore loser?"
"A fight."
He paused, his brows dipping in confusion while the thought hit me.
"You told me to think of something," I explained, sitting up and sliding my feet off his desk as I turned to face him. "I want to spar with you again. The last time ended early."
His eyes searched my own, whilst his hand came back up to trace my cheek. "Well, wouldn't that be a spectacle," he murmured, bending down so that he was eye level with me. "A nice distraction too, hm? We could make it a little event."
I arched a brow at his agreement, a part of me expecting him to argue.
Ah, he really has changed so much since-
"Come watch the Alpha and Luna beat the shit out of each other for no fuckin reason," he continued, his eyes narrowing as his voice took on a flatter tone. "Fuck no."
My face fell.
I guess not then.
"You're no fun," I mumbled, and he rolled his eyes again.
"A spar between you and I is not fun."
"Yes it is!"
"I could hurt you."
"I can dodge, y'know?" I answered pointedly.
His eyes narrowed. "No, Alexandria."
"But I want to see how much I've progressed!"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"I said please, Livius. I never say please."
"No."
I groaned, my shoulders slumping in dismay. But Livius only pinched my cheek, that easy smile returning to his face.
"Sore loser," he sang again, his eyes alight with amusement.
The scowl returned to my face. "I hate you," I mumbled under my breath and he visibly paused.
I didn't have time to react when he rested both of his hands on the arm rest and bent down so that his lips hovered just inches from my own, those cerulean eyes sharing a thousand unreadable words.
"What was that?" he asked, and when I pressed my lips together in a thin line, his eyes followed the movement. "Would you perhaps like a repeat of what happened earlier?"
My scowl only deepened and I pursed my lips. "It depends," I purred, humoring him while my hands slid over his shoulders, my eyes drifting away from him to give attention to the action.
His body went rigid beneath my touch, his muscles tensing as he clenched his jaw. "Get off my chair."
"No."
"Off, Alexandria."
I spun around in his chair, kicking my feet up so they wouldn't get in the way. "Again, I don't take orders from you."
His eyes darkened at that, the smallest spark burning through his cerulean gaze as he gave me a smile that made my entire body flush. My mate's hands came down on the armrest once more, stopping my childish spin. "Oh?"
Raising my chin, I met his gaze, my own lips quirking up in defiance as I leaned forward to brush my lips against his own in a teasing kiss. "You heard me," I whispered.
Livius grinned, a feral glint swirling in his eyes as he moved to lean forward only for a knock to sound at the door.
He growled in frustration, and pulled away to glance back at the entrance to his office, his gaze narrowed as I laughed.
A moment later, he was striding away from me, my lips tugging up in amusement as he tore the door open and pinned his churning gaze on the female at his door.
The poor maid immediately dropped her head, her legs trembling as she fell into a quick bow before tentatively extending a bundle of clothes to my mate. "T-the garments you requested, Your Majesty."
Livius only released a breath, a part of him most likely realizing that his anger was misplaced as he took them from her outstretched arms, and offered her a grateful nod before turning away.
I stood as her eyes flickered past him and gave the girl the smallest smile when she bowed in my direction before hurriedly turning away.
Livius shut the door behind her, his eyes returning to me while I gazed pointedly at the winter coat in his hands.
"Are we going somewhere?" I asked curiously, approaching where he stood.
He only stepped behind me once I was close enough, and carefully assisted me as I slipped the sleeves through my arms.
Only then did he meet my gaze. "I figured we ought to spend more time together if we're going to make this work again."
My heart warmed at that, and slowly, I slid my hand into his own before standing onto my toes and pressing another kiss to his lips. "Where to, Hayati?"
He grinned at that.
***********************
"Well, this certainly isn't what I expected," I murmured, walking carefully behind my mate as his hand tightened around my own.
"Oh? And what were you expecting?" He asked, throwing me a curious glance over his shoulder.
I distractedly surveyed the terrain. "Another picnic at your ever so special lake."
He paused, his eyes meeting my own once again. "You fear water, moon. Why would I take you back there?"
"It's your favorite place on castle grounds."
"Yes, and your least favorite."
I frowned at that, a part of me wishing I could control my fears, conquer them, so that he wouldn't have to accommodate.
As though he read my thoughts, Livius' hand squeezed my gloved fingers as he drew me to his side. "It's alright, love. Besides, this is much more fun."
I shot him a grin. "Y'know, Sebastian already brought me down here while I was upset with you."
He scowled at that, as though I'd reminded him of the surprise that'd been ruined. "I'm well aware."
I let out another laugh while we approached the saddled horse, my hand immediately coming up to run through Azure's beautiful mane.
"It would've been nice to shift," I murmured absentmindedly, a part of me yearning for that form, that escape from the confines of a human body.
"It has been awhile," Livius agreed, his eyes glued to the beautiful steed as he continued. "And I see he's chosen a new rider."
I turned to him, my brows dipping in confusion when Livius brought up a hand, the stunning Friesian horse sniffing at it before slightly bowing its head.
"He was mine," Livius murmured, his eyes meeting my own as his hand moved to stroke Azure's muzzle. "Until I was swarmed with work and stopped visiting."
Before I could respond, Livius tipped his head towards the saddle, and helped me up before following suit. I resisted the urge to lean further into him and inhale his scent when his arms came to wrap around me and grip the reins.
"Ready?" He questioned, his warmth seeping into my skin while his breath tickled my ear.
I turned to look at him, my eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Who said I didn't want to hold the reins?"
He chuckled at that, the dim look in his eyes that still lingered fading ever so slightly. "Next time, moon. I promise."
I only let out a dramatic sigh before allowing my fingers to get lost in Azure's mane once again. "Fine. Fine. But only because your instinctive response wasn't just a flat out 'no.'"
He laughed again before spurring Azure into movement. We swiftly rode out of the stables, the cold air already hitting my face as I pulled my hood down to feel the wind running through my hair.
"Any particular destination?" I asked Livius over the winter breeze while we rode through his territory, the land so much more beautiful beneath the pale snow.
"Shall I take you to another one of my secret strips of land?" He responded, though I knew that was exactly where we were headed.
I snorted. "As long as there's no lake."
"No lake, moon," he responded, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Although, I did plan on taking you to a stunning island resort. However, I doubt it'll happen."
"You mean 'island' as in a strip of land surrounded by water on every side? Yeah, no," I retorted.
He laughed again. "You never know, my queen. Perhaps you'll conquer your fears."
I only leaned further into his warm chest, my eyes wandering over the snow covered terrain, the frozen trees, the single droplets that trickled from melting ice. The cold had always been a reminder of home.
Alexius and I had both loved the winter.
And even now, nothing had changed. Besides the fact that he was worlds away, in a place where only the dead wandered alone.
I released a sigh, the puff of air visible in our frigid surroundings as we rode in silence for a few more minutes.
"Heavy thoughts?" Livius' eyes were pinned before us even while he spoke.
I didn't want to remind him, to force his mind to wander back to recent events, but my response remained truthful as I tugged the glove off my left hand just to get a real feel of Azures strands.
"Death is such a terrible thing," I mumbled, the cold biting my fingers. Instinctively, I tapped into the pool of magic within me to return some of that heat.
"You could live an entire lifetime just wondering what happens after. Where you go. What you do." My eyes flickered up to him and I caught my mate frowning in thought even as I continued. "We're all so frail. We could leave each other at any moment."
Livius' hands tightened on the reins, his arms instinctively curling around me as though the thought didn't sit well with him. "You're not wrong," was all he said, his lips hovering near my ear.
I glanced up at him, my eyes dimming when they met his own. "Does the mate bond break after death?"
Livius stiffened at the question, even while he pulled Azure to a stop near the edge of a snow coated hill. His eyes seemed to glow in our pale surroundings, those dark lashes standing out along with the black strands of his hair.
He didn't respond. And when he slid off our horses back, and then moved to help me down, I assumed he had chosen not to. But once my heeled boots hit the ground, he met my gaze once again.
"It does not."
I arched a brow, but didn't push it. Instead, I watched as he took Azure's reins, and began loosely tying them around a low branch, his voice reaching my ears regardless of the distance. "It's what drove the former king into madness after his mate, my mother, died."
He returned to my side as he spoke, his hand slipping into my own while he led us up the small mountain. "Pack links sever once a member passes. It hurts most for his direct family, and the Alpha, but the pain fades just as quickly as it comes."
My thumb stroked the back of his hand and I leaned deeper into his side, silently condemning myself for bringing this up.
Idiot.
"But from what I saw, the mate bond is different," he continued, his voice low and morose. "Your mate carries the other half of your soul. And when they die, it only leaves this world."
He swallowed, his own emotions forcing his voice to strain. "After my mother passed, I'd still hear my father speaking to her, saying her name, telling her things. As though she were there... but not."
"The bond stays," I whispered, squeezing his cold hand and sending some of that magically produced heat through our interlaced fingers.
"The bond stays," Livius repeated, squeezing my hand in return.
We fell into a comfortable silence afterwards as we both strode uphill, and when we finally made it to this 'secret' place of his, my lips released the smallest gasp on their own accord.
I felt him smile at my reaction, his eyes also taking in the land before us. But I shocked him when I breathed out a laugh, before shrugging off the jacket he'd forced me to put on.
Before he could reprimand me, I ran ahead, a smile on my face while I threw my arms out and fully breathed in the winter air. "It's beautiful!" I exclaimed as Livius approached, my eyes glued to the cloudy sky and my hair finally flowing freely.
"It would be even more beautiful if you put on your coat," my mate grumbled, having caught the garment. But his eyes never once left me as I spun a few times.
The top of this small mountain overlooked his entire territory (or as much as the eye could see, really). The frost covered trees were visible for miles, and the massive castle hidden amongst them could barely be seen.
I could only imagine how stunning it would be when the sun began to set.
Another smile crept onto my face when Livius slid an arm around my waist, his warmth returning.
"Give up on trying to get me to bundle up?" I teased, glancing up at him as I turned away from the magnificent view and instead leaned against his chest, my arms curling around his lean torso.
He only scoffed. "If you get sick, I'm not taking care of you."
"Liar." I stuck my tongue out at him, my eyes sparking with a thousand nameless emotions. "You love me."
He fell silent, as though that statement was one he could not spin in any other way. Instead, he smiled so passionately down at me, I began to hear my heart in my ears. And before I could dwell on that feeling, he laid a hand at the back of my head, and tucked my face into his chest once again.
"I do," Livius finally said in answer, his voice a gentle reminder. "I really do, Alexandria."
I hugged him tighter, my eyes closing in relaxation as I inhaled that scent of lilac and the fresh air after a night of snowfall. My response, the words I had been meaning to return since that night in Paris, were on the tip of my tongue and I swallowed before pulling back to look at him.
"Livius." My eyes searched his own, those pale blue irises the color of a calm ocean or a perfect sky after a storm. "I-"
And of course my words were fucking cut off by his fucking phone.
My mate rolled his eyes, his hand reaching back into his pocket. A second later, he pulled away from me and looked at the name that flashed across his screen.
Levon Artemis.
Fuck you, Levon. Fuck you.
Livius smiled at my obvious irritation, his hand coming up to stroke my cheek for a brief moment. "I have to take this, love. Give me a minute."
Too late. Whatever courage I had has already fled my body.
Three words. So small and seemingly insignificant. But they were always that final step. The final phrase on which marriages and relationships and bonds were built.
My eyes flickered over to him, and I found him glancing right back at me, his eyes brimming with amusement while he spoke into his phone.
"Apologies, Levon. But your student is a bit busy at the moment," he told the General, his head tilting in an almost predatory manner as the general continued to speak on the other end.
"You can train with her indoors, Uncle. You know it is possible," was his second response. And judging by the way his eyes settled, Levon seemed to relent.
Livius rolled his eyes at whatever the man said afterwards, but nodded regardless. "Alright, I'll let her know."
And with that he ended the call, my lips quirking up as he pocketed his phone once again. "He's upset with you for missing another training session," he told me, and I snorted.
"Shouldn't he be happy he doesn't have to busy himself with me?"
Livius chuckled. "Believe it or not, moon, but he actually enjoys your company."
"If you say so," I shrugged, and instead of responding, my mate slid a casual arm around my shoulders, and glanced down at me with a sly grin.
"So," he began, those eyes narrowing curiously. "What was it you were saying before we were interrupted?"
"I love the view," I answered without missing a beat, my chin jerking towards the world of snowy wilderness beyond.
He smirked, those eyes flashing for a brief moment as he gazed down at me intensely.
"I do too."
My brows shot up at his remark, and I let out the smallest laugh. A moment later, I tore my gaze from him and instead glanced down at the snow covered floor, my boots kicking at the settled flakes.
With a grin, I willed a pale blue flame out of my palm and silently burned away a patch of cold earth, before settling down. Livius blinked down at me in slight eyes, his adoration of my magic never hidden, even as he joined me on the now dry earth.
And before I could fully get comfortable, he tugged me onto his lap, his arms instantly sliding around me.
"Hmm?" I teased again. "Can't keep your hands off, can you?"
His lips lowered to my ear, his voice deepening. "Do you want me to?"
I squirmed in his grasp, my fingers trembling ever so slightly from his antics, and my breath hitched when he nibbled my earlobe.
"We never did finish our business back in the office..." he continued, his warm hand sliding just beneath my top and trailing across my bare skin.
"Oh?" I managed to say. "You brought us all the way out here so we wouldn't be discovered?"
"Perhaps." He chuckled, cradling me to his chest. I turned my eyes to the setting sun, a small smile on my face.
The burning star flickered just over the horizon, it's final rays casting hues of stunning oranges and pinks as it slowly disappeared behind the trees.
Livius' fingers curled around the black sweatshirt I wore, and he inhaled deeply. "I love it when you wear my clothes."
My lips quirked up. "Some boyfriends get angry when their clothes are stolen."
"I am your mate," he murmured, almost distractedly while he nuzzled my neck. "There is a difference."
"Hm? And what is the difference?" I asked, my voice a low whisper as my gaze flicked down to his lips.
"It is a human term," he continued, his hand sliding down to my leg, and pausing at my knee, the thin fabric of my pantyhose doing nothing to stop the tingles that ran up and down my body at his touch. "Small and childish. A fling."
I leaned my face closer to his. "Kind of like you and Victoria, hm?"
He rolled his eyes, a part of him knowing that I'd only brought it up to taunt him. "It's also no different then you and that pack wolf."
Of course he didn't even bother to remember his name.
My hands came up to his chest, his muscles flexing beneath my fingertips. "We've both had our fair share of dalliances then," I admitted, shrugging silently.
"Indeed," he agreed, pulling me closer against him as I traced random shapes on his broad chest.
I smiled when his lips finally met my own, the heat running through me enough to block out the cold. With a tilt of my head, I deepened our kiss, my hand coming up to run through his hair and he groaned when I tugged at the roots.
It was kisses like these that made we wonder...
Why hadn't he marked me yet?
I did not know vampire culture, but more often than not, Fae's and Werewolves took about two weeks until that final marking, even less for most Alpha's. So how was Livius, this Alpha of Alpha's, holding himself back for this long?
Or why?
When we pulled away, his lips only moved to a spot just beneath my ear before he kissed down my neck. He seemed adamant on adding to the necklace of love bites he'd already made. But never to create a permanent one. Never a permanent mark.
I didn't want to question him. To nag him. Especially not with all that was going on. This wasn't the time. But it was still a question that simply lingered in the back of my conscious.
The final rays of light disappeared as the sun fully set and the crescent moon was in full view, the stars hovering nearby. I turned my gaze to the horizon, my own thoughts making me frown.
I blinked back at my mate when he nipped at my neck, his canines appearing only to tease. "You're distracted, moon."
My full attention returned to him, and I smirked slightly before turning so that I straddled his waist, my arms wrapping around his neck. I dismissed my thoughts for now. "Happy?" I purred, smiling once again when he kissed me a moment later.
"Very."