Beneath the Fallen City - A Dystopian Fantasy Romance

Chapter 21

They walked back to the Rath'Varein quarters. After everyone had filed inside, Alec stopped Kayla at the entrance. "I need to make arrangements for my father. I'll be back in an hour or so."

Kayla looked up at him. "Do you want me to go with you?"

He gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you, but you've done a great deal today. Why don't you relax for a bit before this evening? I know Carl wants to speak with you about what happened. It would probably be better to give you two some privacy."

Her throat went dry, her eyes darting nervously to the door. Once she went inside, everything would change. "I don't know what to say to him. I don't know what happened myself."

Alec's touch was a soothing balm as he caressed her face. "I know. He'll need to understand this is confusing for you." When she frowned, he added, "Kayla, you know how I feel about you. You've seen it for yourself. I can't say your relationship with Carl doesn't bother me, but I understand. You might be interested to know he was the one who told me to go ahead and complete the bond with you."

The news surprised her, and Kayla looked to the door again, wishing she could see inside his head. Why would he have done such a thing? There had been nothing but contention between him and Alec since the beginning.

Alec turned her back to face him. "He loves you, Kayla. He was willing to risk losing you to make sure you were going to be all right."

She inhaled sharply. The selflessness of Carl's actions floored her. He'd done nothing but protect her since the moment they met.

She looked up at Alec, trying to discern his motivation. "Why are you telling me this?"

He was quiet for a long moment. "I told you about Carl because I want you to resolve your feelings for him before you come to me. If you need more time, I understand. I'll support you no matter what you decide to do."

"Why are you being so understanding about this?"

He gave her a small smile, and she saw a glimpse of the familiar cockiness in his eyes. "Because, at the end of the day, I know you'll always come back to me. The bond between us is too strong and neither one of us will be able to resist it. Even if you decide to run off and leave the towers with him, you'll find dozens of excuses to come back."

The idea made her frown. Her first instinct was to pull back and deny it. She wouldn't allow herself to be ruled by some metaphysical bond. "Is that what it's going to be like?"

Alec ran his fingers along the side of her face. "When I touch you, you feel complete, don't you?"

She shivered and gave him a small nod, not comfortable with how much she enjoyed his touch. "That's because of the shared energy. The farther away you go, the more you'll feel its loss. That's not to say it's impossible to be apart, but you'll find yourself longing to be with me again."

Kayla hesitated, but she needed to be honest with him. "Alec, I don't know if I want to stay in the towers. My life and everything I've ever known is outside these walls. I don't want to give that up. When I'm in the ruins, it's like nothing I've ever felt before. I feel alive down there."

His look was one of infinite patience, and he gave her an understanding smile. "That's because you were using your energy without realizing it, Kayla. Do you feel alive when you're with me?"

"Well..." She considered the question, not sure if it was the same thing. She'd only known Alec for a handful of days, regardless of the intimacy they'd shared through their bond. When she was in the glow of an energy exchange with him, she felt more alive than she ever had. Each small touch from him evoked a promise of that powerful connection. "I don't know. Yeah, I guess. You're making my life more complicated. I don't know what's real anymore, but I know what I feel for Carl is real."