Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER XXII

ALICE'S POV

NOVEMBER 2
6:08 p.m

IM THE first person at the hospital.

Jackson is in panic. They've checked him into the hospital but he has no proof of citizenship. He insisted he was fine but was brought to the hospital anyways.

Emily is still asleep in her hospital room. Jackson said she went unconscious but that she'll heal quickly. So quickly the hospital staff will be suspicious.

And of course his first idea is to break the two of them out of the hospital.

"Are you crazy? No goddamn way will that work!"

"It can and will. Unless you want this little accident to blow up into something more."

"What happened anyways?" I sigh. Emily is practically a perfect driver.

"She wasn't paying attention and got rammed into by some asshole. Luckily they hit the rear end of the car from the side." He gets out of bed, not looking like someone who was just pulled out of an accident.

Well he wasn't pulled out of it I suppose. He said he'd been so worried about Emily he got out of the car and was the one who helped her out.

"Look, Emily and I can get out of a window unscathed, but you're a mortal so you'll just have to leave through the front door."

"How are you supposed to get to Emily? She's in a completely different unit of the hospital."

"Us vampires are incredibly fast, I don't think I'll have a problem."

"But what about the aftermath of just breaking out of the hospital? How is Emily supposed to go about everything when she's going to be listed as a missing person once they find her gone?"

"Money and power can do wonders sweetheart, trust me. Now, you should probably sign out at the front desk and meet us in the parking lot. Give me 2 minutes, I'll be there."

"I don't trust this plan." I shake my head.

"Alice, there's a reason I told you not to inform your father. I can get everything under control afterwards, it'll be like it never happened."

I sigh. "Fine. Fix this."

I walk to the front desk and sign out.

Two minutes he promised.

It didn't even take him that long to get to the parking lot with Emily.

She's awake now, but looks drowsy.

"Where's my car?" She looks around, still in Jackson's arms.

"It's totaled. They towed it to the DMV." I sigh.

"Fuck." She mutters. "I hate the DMV"

"Don't worry Em, I'll handle everything. Every last thing." Jackson kisses her head and gets a better grip on her. "We should probably take her back to the realm for her to lay low until I can sweep all this under the rug."

"Sounds good to me."

"Great. So I hope you don't mind keeping your boyfriend a little company at the castle."

"What?"

"Emily's going to be staying at the castle and Christos will be more on board with letting her stay if you're there. No way in hell will he turn away your sister in front of your face."

So we walk to the mirror to get to the realm. Jackson carries Emily all the way to the castle, only putting her down when she insists she's fine.

We get to the palace doors and Jackson asks for a servant to get Christos.

We wait at the front door, shivering.

Christos comes to the door and smiles gently. "Jackson, hey. Everything alright?"

"Not really. Look, can Emily stay at the castle for a day or two? She got in a little car accident and I wanna get it all under wraps."

Christos grimaces. "I don't know Jackson, I mean-"

His eyes meet mine as he realizes I'm here. Something flickers in his eyes and his smile widens.

"Who am I kidding? Emily, you're welcome here always."

"Thanks." Emily mutters. Jackson starts to help her inside and I follow behind them.

Jackson and Emily keep walking but Christos stops me.

"Hey. You visiting too?"

"I might spend some time here but it probably won't be a full visit." I give a meek smile.

"Oh." He frowns.

"Why does that upset you? It hasn't even been that long since I last saw you." I reach out, holding his hand.

"I know it's just, it gets awfully lonely here. Alice can- can I tell you something very important?"

I nod.

And so he proceeds to tell me about how mates work, how young vampires are anxious to meet theirs, how life for a vampire without their mate at their side is unbearable.

"And you Alice," he smiles, "are my mate."

"So what does that mean for us?"

"Well it means that one day we are to marry and for you to become a vampire." He wraps his arms around me. "And you will take on the duty of being a princess."

"And when is all that supposed to happen?"

"Anytime." He smiles. "But mates usually marry a month or two after they find out."

"What?"

"Well, yeah. It's very physically draining for a vampire to be without their mate."

"No offense Christos, but I'm not a vampire and I have a life outside being with you."

He smiles. "No offense taken. I understand, but honestly Alice, what exactly does that life outside of me consist of?"

I bite my lip, turning away from him. He knows that I've never really had any aspirations, my deepest fears of doing nothing with my life.

I always say we don't know each other too well but I don't think anyone knows me better than him.

Jesus, I'm losing my goddamn mind.

"Alice," he coos, "come stay here with me. Please? You can be so happy here."

The gentle way he talks makes me feel like I'm being wrapped in a warm blanket.

"So this mate thing means we'll end up together one way or another?"

"Indefinitely. For all of eternity."

Emily will kill me, but I'm reminded of the sheer amount of times Christos has told me to put myself first.

"I'm not agreeing to marry you at this moment." I turn to him. "But I might move in, if you'd really like me too."

"I would love you to." He looks almost desperate.

Geez, what do I have to lose?