The Alpha’s Mate And The Vampire King (The Alpha Series Book 3)
The Alpha’s Mate And The Vampire King: Chapter 20

Yiselda comes to a halt as we approach the circle to port back to Shadow Crest.

‘Fern, Ela, Ria, Lilac, I would appreciate it if you could return to Shadow Crest with Alpha Bennet while I stay behind with Luna here,’ She says.

‘Sure, Yiselda,’ they smile. Fern grabs Alpha Bennet by the back of his shirt and shoves him through the portal. I turn and giggle, looking at Yiselda, who is irritated and has her hands on her hips. My laughter stops.

‘Uh oh,’ Reaper mind-links.

‘Is everything okay?’ I ask her.

‘What possessed you to approach the vampire king in such a manner? You seemed like you were about to touch him? Do you realise he has the ability to kill all of us, Luna, even you?’ She claims.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to do that.’ I couldn’t help myself….’

‘You couldn’t help yourself,’ she scoffs.

I glance to the ground with guilt and clutch my wrist, feeling the tingles. Perhaps if I show Yiselda, she’ll be able to assist me in figuring out how to sever the bond? I’m immediately dizzy. I haven’t recovered all of my strength after nearly drowning this morning. I stagger and grasp my head.

‘Luna?’ replies Yiselda, steadying me.

I concentrate and shake the dizziness away. ‘I have something I need to show you,’ I say, revealing my wrist to Yiselda and showing her the mark. She gives out the loudest shriek I’ve ever heard before falling back. She stands up, takes my arm, and pulls my wrist close to her face.

‘It cannot be. Alec has marked you. You are the vampire king’s blood flame,’ Staring at my wrist in disbelief, she finally looks at me. ‘You have two mates!’ she exclaims.

Taking my arm back, I walk away a few steps and solemnly stare up at the sky.

‘Yiselda, I don’t know what to do. It will destroy Magnus if he replaces out I have a second mate, but I can’t help these feelings towards Alec. I want to be with him too.’ I explain.

She grabs my arm and yanks me back into the house.

‘Where are we going?’ I ask.

‘You must sever your bond with Alec for your own good and protection. We need to ask Alec how to do that,’ she adds as she pulls me up the staircase of books.

‘Skedaddle Dash,’ she says, making us blink from the dungeon’s entrance and reappear on the other side outside Alec’s cell.

Alec immediately emerges from the shadows of his cell and reaches his hand out for mine. ‘Nina,’ he says. I instinctively reach my hand out to take his, but Yiselda pulls me back.

‘Alec,’ she growls. ‘Nina is Luna of Shadow Crest and fated mates with Magnus. You have to break the bond with Nina!’

‘No,’ he says firmly without hesitation.

‘Alec, how do you suppose you will have a relationship with her behind these bars? If Magnus replaces out, he won’t allow her here again, and you know what will happen to Nina if she isn’t near you frequently. For her sake, break the bond,’

Alec lunges at the bars scaring Yiselda back, ‘I said no!’ he yells.

‘W-what will happen to me if we stay apart?’ I ask.

Alec looks away with guilt.

‘The blood flame draws you to your other half like the mate bond. You will begin to burn if you resist it or remain too far away from your blood flame for too long. It starts as a fever, but it steadily worsens until you eventually burn to death,’

I gasp and cover my mouth, ‘Magnus would never cope without me. It would kill him,’ I say.

‘And it will kill me too if anything ever happened to you,’ Alec says.

Alec and I stare solemnly at each other.

‘If you don’t break the bond. You know she will die, Alec,’

‘No, she won’t. Magnus will have to let us be together in order for her to live. Do you think he is willing to let her die if he loves her that much?’ Alec retorts.

‘Do you think Magnus is going to share his mate?’ Yiselda argues.

‘Our mate,’ he corrects her.

I fall to my knees and cradle myself. Yiselda kneels beside me and rubs my back as I start to cry.

‘If Alec doesn’t break the mate bond, you will have to tell Magnus,’ Yiselda says sympathetically.

Wiping my tears, I stand up to see Alec has retreated to the shadows of his cell. Approaching his cell, I grip the bars.

‘Alec, please, breaking the bond is the only way for us to live and cease these feelings we both have for one other.’

Alec’s hands reach through the bars with an instant flash, cupping my face, his lips crashing onto mine. A euphoric feeling flows through my body and his, and my inner soul melts from his kiss. I’ve always felt happy with Magnus, and I know I’m in love with him, but something was always missing in my heart, and now, kissing the vampire king, I realise that the missing piece of my soul was my second mate, Alec.

I’m overcome by the overpowering sensation of being whole with Alec and Magnus. We break the kiss for breath, and I take a step back, swaying and collapsing. Reaper settles alongside me on the ground.

‘Luna!’ Yiselda and Alec exclaim simultaneously. Yiselda cradles my head in her lap.

‘Luna,’ Yiselda says again as she tries to wake me.

‘Yiselda, let me out, let me help her!’ Alec begs.

‘Alec, you will never be free from that cell, and I certainly won’t let you anywhere near the Luna,’

Alec scowls at her, ‘I will make sure you will regret keeping me from my treasured blood flame, Yiselda,’ he angrily says.

Yiselda ignores him and waves her wand over me, ‘Awaken,’ she says. Alec watches closely as my eyes flicker awake. Yiselda helps to sit me up.

‘Where am I?’ I say, taking a glance around. Then the memory of kissing Alec flashes through my mind. I raise my eyes to Alec, who has a troubled expression on his face.

‘Are you okay, Nina? Yiselda refused to let me out to help you,’ he says.

‘I haven’t been the best since this morning. I’m sorry, Magnus insisted I stay home and rest, but I didn’t listen to him,’

‘What happened this morning?’ Yiselda asks.

‘I-I almost drowned in the lake… before sunrise,’

‘You almost died?’ Alec asks.

‘Isn’t it currently the middle of winter in Shadow Crest?’ Yiselda asks.

I nod my head, ‘I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Alec and felt so guilty. I wanted the longing for Alec to stop, so I shifted and went for a run and stayed in the icy cold water of the lake for as long as I could. It helped keep my mind off Alec. Unfortunately, I was in there too long, and when I tried to swim out of the lake, I couldn’t move my paws. I was too cold. Soon after, I began to sink underwater, and Magnus found me as I blacked out. He took me home and kept me warm in bed until not long before the meeting with Alpha Bennet. He wanted me to stay and rest, but I refused,’

‘How come he didn’t tell me? I would have made you remain at home as well,’ Yiselda says.

‘I imagine he didn’t have time to tell you,’

Yiselda looks at Alec, ‘This is more reason for you to break the bond, Alec. Her life has already been put at risk once, and putting it off will only further risk her life. End it now, or I’ll be sure to punish you,’ she warns.

Alec glares at Yiselda, ‘No,’ he repeats.

‘Luna, this leaves you with no choice. We have to inform Magnus of your second mate.’ she says.