The Pomegranate Society

Forty-six: Professor Aleksander Morozova

Forty-six:

Professor Aleksander Morozova

Alina was pregnant. It was presumptuous of him since all he had to go off of was her throwing up on the plane ride to The Islands. But Aleksander knew. He had known from the moment that they had had sex on his desk that was what would happen. If he were a religious man, he could say that it was the saints smiling down on him. But he wasn't. He was simply good at planning. He wanted to go and run to her, but he couldn't.

The plane ride was torture. When they got to the chateau, he cornered Alina after she went to her room which was right next to his and across from Nikolai's. He slipped in after she did, and closed the door, locking it behind him. "You're pregnant," he said.

Alina jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh Saints! You're like the pop-up book from hell. What are you doing in my room? You're not supposed to be here. Nikolai is in the room right across from me."

He smirked. "As far as anyone knows, I am your teacher, checking in on my student. Everyone knows that you're working for me too. There's a million different reasons that you could be talking to me that no one would even question. That is why I'm brilliant."

"You're an asshole," she said, "and I'm not pregnant. I'm just sick."

"You're pregnant," he said firmly, "I know it. You're going to have to tell them before they release the announcement."

She narrowed her gaze at him. "I'm not telling anyone anything, and if you tell them anything, especially Nikolai, I swear Aleksander I will kill you."

He stared at her, surprised. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes," she said.

"I do believe that's the scariest that you've ever been around me, Alina," he said, as he reached out and grabbed her wrist, "I'd like to see more of that. You were very authoritative. Very Queen like. Why don't you order me to do something again?"

Her stomach gurgled. "Get out."

"Oh, no. That wasn't what I meant. I was hoping you would order me to go down on you or something."

"That's not happening!" she insisted. "I am engaged, I'm getting married and once Nikolai is able to take over Mal's hospital bills----"

"You still owe me," he reminded her, "and the society. You're engagement happened only because of us. Did you really think that the explosion at the night club happened by random?"

She glared at him. "Oh---are you---you're responsible for the explosion?"

He smirked. "Only a little," he said, "in that I planned it. But someone else executed it."

To his surprise, Alina slapped him hard across the face. He winced. "What in the Saints was that for?" he demanded.

Alina shook her head. "I can't believe you! You---my parents died because of this horrendous war---and you faked an explosion? With me there? You tell me you love me and you force me to marry another man and you do it through the most violent way you possibly could?"

His face was stinging from her slap. "I think I like this side of you, Alina. I'd like to see it more often. Perhaps we should bring out my whips the next time we are at the clubhouse."

"You're supposed to love me," she said, "you told me that you love me. If you love me, why do you need this? I should be enough for you."

"I have sat by and watched as my father ran this country to the ground. I watched him make my younger brother so sick from his constant pressures, and he's making my younger brother give up the love of his life---"

Alina shook her head. "I don't know that I am the love of Nikolai's life."

"I never said that it was you," he said with a smirk.

She glared at him. "You know.... you know that Nikolai's in love with someone else?"

He nodded. "There isn't much that I don't know, Alina. I was always an outsider. I had to know everything in order to fit in."

Alina sat down on the edge of her bed. "Whose he in love with?"

Aleksander shook his head. "That's not my secret to tell. Although my guess is that you're going to find out this weekend, anyway."

"Why do you think that?"

"Her family is coming to Solstice," said Aleksander, "her father's a judge in the high court."

"You can't tell me her name, at least?" Alina asked.

Aleksander shook his head. "I'm a bastard, Alina, but even I am not so much of one that I will disclose Nikolai's secrets."

"You know, he.... he talked so casually about affairs. I just assumed that was how he was raised. I never considered that it might be because he was in love with someone else too. But if Nikolai doesn't really love me, and he is marrying me isn't that wrong? But you love me, and you won't marry me, and...."

"I've never said I wouldn't marry you, Alina," he said, "but everything has to be timed perfectly. Including your pregnancy, which, for the record, I couldn't be happier about." He walked over and kissed her forehead.

She scowled. "I'm not pregnant. I'm not marrying you."

"You are," he said, "and everything is going exactly as I had planned. I love you very much, Alina, and this is all going to work out."

"I hate you," she said.

"You love me," he said, "I'll check on you this evening. I'll see you later."

He slipped out of her room, leaving her alone, and grinning broadly when he did.