Alejo [Vampire]

Alejo- Chapter 34

Before anything, I just want to thank all the followers who messaged and inboxed me during the past month or so. After my flashdrive got wiped and I lost all my (published/non-published/future drafts) stories and all my college schoolwork and assignments, I really didn't feel like starting from scratch. You guys have been really supportive while I tried to pick up the pieces again. Thanks to you all I actually I worked extra hard to get past that frustration and writers' block to get back to finishing the story. Because to be honestt, every time I thought about redoing a draft, I really didn't feel like finishing any of the books.

Thanks again guys. xoxo. For that I decided to give you a triple upload. (2 long chapters and an epilogue all in one go) 

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::CHAPTER 34::

I had figured that Ria would object to our mode of transport, but it seemed like she was over those demons. The last time she'd been in a submarine, she'd been restrained and taken to another country against her will. By me no less.

I had anticipated some tension. Maybe a snippy word or two. Instead she immediately left me to go exploring. It wasn't a particularly large vessel but it was the perfect size for two people wanting to travel unnoticed overseas. Well…underseas.

 Once I had the bags put aside for easy retrieval, I set off to look for her in the upper levels. She was just standing in the middle of the sector, face upturned and looking into the open waters. She was tinted blue like the ocean above her and the wonder in her eyes were much like any first timer seeing the water from this vantage point.

"It's beautiful," she breathed eying a school of fish swimming on by, the silver of their scales glinting in the sub's headlight. I didn't respond. I'd been in these a thousand times too many.

"Who's driving the sub?"

"Autopilot," I responded, "No one does it manually unless they absolutely have to."

"…could I?"

"What? Steer the sub?" I raised a brow.

"Yeah. You could teach me."

I stared at her long and hard. The part of me that didn't place my trust in others lightly was hesitating to say yes. The last thing I needed was for her to turn on me and drive away in my submarine when I needed it. Ria was an intelligent girl. She'd learn fast and gain competence faster. I wanted to trust her but the bigger part of me insisted otherwise. I was too used to being cautious to throw it all to the wind.

"Perhaps later," I told the non-confirming non-promise.

"Sure. Once you get over your I'm-gonna-ditch-you paranoia, right?"  she huffed, "I'm not stupid. I know how your mind works, remember? I've seen it."

"Still not overly pleased about that, to be frank."

"Yeah, well…" she trailed off with a shrug.

"I'll think about it."

"Hmm," she pursed her lips in that disbelieving way that elderly women often did when they were sassing.

She didn't push it though. Even she knew that right now there was too much on my plate to start being a pest about things.

Samuel was back. I'd always entertained the possibility. Needless to say, I'd assumed that he'd make his presence known a lot sooner. It didn't occur to me that Samuel, my Samuel, would be plotting against me on this level. He'd never been one for organization of anything large scale. Infiltrating my military though, that took serious balls.