The Duke's Bride <3

chapter 11

I super hate when my internet goes down.... upload tomorrow. so its a double (: yay. lol. enjoy... !! 

**[[Alexi]]**

Alexi watched his wife as she playfully kept jumping into the water. He'd been transfixed on her beauty and the simple pleasure he had just to watch her as she played. He hadn't been standing there long, only enough to see that she was thoroughly enjoying herself and her laughter filled the air in a way he hadn't heard since they were very young. He loved to hear that laugh. Had always loved the way she laughed. 

When she'd passed him a little bit earlier, the sassy little woman had again made him lose his ability to talk. She was just too much sometimes. It was charming and annoying all at once. 

He was going to make himself known when she took one last dive into the water, and didn't come back up. He waited patiently at first for her to appear above the surface and when she didn't the tight grip of panic took his breath away as he ran to the waters edge. 

The water was still and looked as though it hadn't been touched at all. How was that possible? He could see clearly into the bottom of the crystal blue water and could not see his wife. He dove into the water then searching around frantically for Caitlin. Diving to the very bottom of the rocks and surfacing repeatedly.. frantically. Where the hell could she be! 

Alexi pulled himself out of the water and looked around in complete confusion. He knew he had not imagined her jumping into the water, and after searching every inch of the area he still had not located her and was begining to feel that he was losing his mind. He could not see her at the bottom or anywhere for that matter, and she could not have just dissappeared into thin air. 

Deciding that he needed to be able to see the entire pool, he climbed to the very highest point as he'd watched Caitlin do, and surveyed the area.  From where he stood he watched in awe as the water that he was staring at began to shimmer slightly and ripple and with a burst of water and light Catilin was thrust to the surface, and not moving. 

Alexi didn't hesitate as he dove into the water to drag her body up on shore and began to pump the water out of her lungs. He was alternating between pumping her chest and breathing into her mouth as he'd learned to do years ago from his father. He was unsuccessful and she still wasn't breathing or coughing up the water like she should have been. 

He leaned forward to press his head against her chest, and couldn't hear or feel her heart beating. He prayed silently in his head for help from above because he could not lose this woman. How on earth so many bad things could happen in just a short span of time boggled his mind and he was postive that when they were finally safe he would be locking Caitlin in the nearest room with as much padding as was necessary to keep her out of harms way. 

He didn't realize that he was no longer praying in his head but full out begging for his maker to give him just a little more time. They were still half in the water and Alexi was holding Caitlin to his chest, sobbing for all he was worth, He felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest and that his entire world was crashing around him. A wave of pain washed over him and he gripped her closer.