The Alpha’s Mate And The Vampire King (The Alpha Series Book 3)
The Alpha’s Mate And The Vampire King: Chapter 16

As she stands, Yiselda adds, ‘I shall return tomorrow to lead Alpha Bennet to Pandora’s Box,’

‘We’ll accompany you, Yiselda, and return to Shadow Crest later,’ I say.

‘Very well,’ she says with a smile.

I need to see Alec, not just because I can’t stop thinking about him, but also because I’m curious about this mark. I want to ask him why I keep thinking of him in a sensual light, but I can’t acknowledge that I replace him appealing. It just wouldn’t be proper.

‘May you should come with us this time?’ I say.

‘Yes!’ May exclaims as she dashes over to join us.

‘I’ll be back soon,’ I kiss Magnus,

‘Don’t keep me waiting too long,’ he smiles.

‘I won’t,’ I respond as I kiss him once more.

We port through the circle, following the witches and appear outside Pandora’s Box. Upon entering, May squeals in delight at the broom sweeping the floor.

‘Does it ever stop sweeping?’ I ask out of curiosity.

Yiselda laughs, ‘No dear. It doesn’t,’

‘Hmm, very good,’ I say, intrigued and enter the kitchen through the left door.

Yiselda, using her powers, makes everyone a hot cup of tea. The kettle, teaspoons and teacups float around the room toward the table.

‘I’m going to go to the enchanted garden for a while,’ I smile.

‘Okay, give Star a pat for me,’ Yiselda yells out as I leave the kitchen and walk down the hallway. I pass through the mirror, stop at the right door, and open it.

‘Reaper, you stay here and keep a lookout. I’ll be back, okay?’

‘Where are you going?’ He mind-links.

‘I’ll tell you later, I promise.’ He flies off my shoulder and hops onto the ground.

‘Just be quick, okay?’

I nod, ‘Thanks, Reaper,’ I smile.

‘Materialise,’ I say, imagining a book. I place it on the ground in the darkness in front of me. ‘Sprouto Spawniate,’ I say. The books multiply and grow in size and form a staircase. I flick my wand for light and close the door behind me as I walk up the stairs of books until I reach the large black door with the sigils drawn in place. I slowly open the door, careful not to smudge the markings.

The Grimghouls hiss, showing their teeth as I walk by. The dark silhouettes of the Shadow Reapers moan as if they are in agony. I can only just make them out.

‘I knew you couldn’t stay away from me long,’ Alec says in his husky voice, sending a hot shiver down my spine.

‘How did you know?’ I say, stepping close enough to see his face with the dim light of my wand.

He smiles endearingly at me, ‘That’s a secret I’d like to keep for a while longer, but I’m delighted you’re here. It’s not often I get visitors. It’s mostly Yiselda who visits each day to give me my daily nourishment. Sometimes but rarely, one of the other witches brings it to me, but they don’t even acknowledge me,’

‘Daily nourishment? You mean blood?’ I say, a little anxious.

‘You’re a werewolf, so it’s not like you don’t go hunting and slaughtering rabbits and other rodents for your wolf-form nourishment,’

‘That’s very true,’ I smirk.

A few moments pass, and I realise we have been gazing at each other silently. I blink and shake my head—the mark on my wrist warms up, spreading warm sparks through me.

I’m now as close as I can be to the bars and hold my wrist out towards Alec. ‘You have done something to me. Please tell me what this mark is and what these strange feelings are. You have to tell me,’ I demand.

He gently takes my arm, caresses his thumb over the mark and leans against the bars.

‘This isn’t just a mark, my love. This is my new destiny,’ he says and places a kiss upon the mark. My body instantly feels on fire. The same way Magnus makes me feel. I pull my arm back and stare at him with a worried look.

‘I don’t understand,’ I say.

‘Once I am out of here, you will understand,’ he says.

I just noticed I had subconsciously stepped close to the bars again, in reach of Alec. Our faces are inches apart.

‘You don’t seem to be afraid of me, Nina?’ He whispers.

‘Should I be?’ I whisper back. It feels like a magnet is pulling us together, wanting us to be closer. I feel mesmerised staring into his light brown eyes. It feels like I have known him all my life.

His hand cups my left cheek.

‘Yes, you should be,’

‘Why?’ I ask. Alec’s head leans in closer, and his lips almost touch mine until Magnus comes to mind, and I jump back.

‘Because you want me,’ he says.

‘No, I’m with Magnus. I love Magnus. I don’t understand why I feel the same sensations around you that I feel with Magnus. Like we are destined mates?’

‘That’s because you are my destined love. Just like the Moon goddess, Selene chose you and Magnus to be together. She has also chosen us to be blood flames,’

‘Blood flames?’ I say, confused.

‘When a werewolf replaces their soulmates, their destined life partner. They are known as mates. It works the same way with vampires, except mates are called blood flames,’ he gently explains.

‘Are you saying that the moon goddess has made me a mate with Magnus and y-you?’ I say, trembling.

‘Technically, yes,’ he says with a grimace. ‘And just a note, I don’t like sharing,’ he says, pouting like a child.

‘Your lying? How do you know this?’ I’m in denial and refuse to believe this, any of this.

‘You saw it, but you didn’t realise it at the time. A vampire’s eyes turn red and flicker when they glimpse their blood flame. You will see fire in our eyes. It puts you into a trance and makes you approach subconsciously. We’ll stay that way until our vampiric mark is placed on your wrist. It signals to other vampires that you are blood-flamed or, in other words, taken. It’s also where the term blood flames came from because of our flaming, blood eyes when we first see you,’ He explains. I touch Magnus’s mark on my neck. It tingles. ‘Just like a wolf marks your neck to let other wolves know you are taken,’ he frowns. Then I touch the mark on my wrist, and it has the same tingly feeling. I gasp, and tears begin to glide down my cheeks. I shake my head and run towards the black door on the opposite side.

‘Please, wait, my love, don’t leave me just yet!’ He pleads. His voice is sorrowful. I open the door, lock it behind me, and double-check that the sigils are still there. Reaper is waiting for me as I open the next door. As I close the door behind me, he leaps onto my shoulder.

He mind-links, ‘You’re crying?’

‘I need to go to the enchanted garden,’ I sob, open the middle door, and walk through the extensive spacious library until I replace the double doors and enter the garden.

I sit in a grove of bushes, sobbing into my hands. Gnomes move closer every time I glance up to wipe my tears, yet they freeze like statues every time I gaze at them. I ignore them and cry until I feel a swarm of tiny hands on my legs and back. All of the gnomes appear to be frozen around me, yet they placed their hands on my legs and back to console me.

‘Luna, you must tell me what has happened?’ Reaper pleads.

I nod and hold my wrist, showing him the mark.

‘You’re a vampire’s blood flame!’ Reaper caws in shock and almost falls off my shoulder in horror.