The Count's Princess (Completed)

Seeing Gabriel Again

I clung onto Alexandru as he leaped through the clouds across the country. When we got to the beach, he slowly lowered me onto the soft sand. A cool breeze ran through us and I dug my knuckles into his sweater. He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his long arms around me.

"It's been six years since the first time I took you here." I sighed through a smile at his words. He kept me close with one arm as his other went in between us and his hand lifted my chin up to his. "I love you, Maggy," his pale skin glowed in the moonlight. His purple eyes caught the water's reflection. He placed that hand on my head and pushed it against his lifeless chest.

I frowned as a thought ran through my mind. A thought that wouldn't leave my consciousness since I had Levi. A thought that first came to me on my twenty-first birthday.

I was now only four years younger than Alexandru. Next year I will be three years younger. Until I begin to be older than him.

"What's wrong?" The vampire asked. I blinked and only then did I realize the tears that had begun to fall down my cheeks. My husband withdrew himself and cupped my face in his large icy hands. I shivered at his touch and wished I'd brought a blanket. "Are you cold?" He began to rub those hands of his up and down my thin arms. I shook my head even though the friction was a relief. "Maggy," he said softly.

"I was just," I began but choked. "I just," I snuffed up a sob but couldn't stop it. I dug my face into open hands and allowed my shoulders to jump up and down as my feelings began to pore out. "In four years I'll be older than you!" I felt my husband shake his head.

"No," he said earnestly. He hated talking about the future. He smoothed my hair back after lifting my most likely ugly tear-streaked face up to his. His sharp nails wiped at my tears but they only fell even louder.

"I want to enjoy this life with you Alexandru!" I said. "But I hate thinking about me being old and Levi being old and you staying young and ... beautiful ... and undying." My hands were now pressed against his chest. I wanted him to hold me forever.

"I'm not turning you into a vampire." He suddenly said quickly after a moment of awkward silence.

"I didn't—"

"And you're not making a deal with that flaming man." He was shaking his head and was no longer rubbing my arms to keep me warm but to stay assured that he had complete control over me.

"Honey," I began with only more tears falling. "You're hurting me!" Alexandru's eyes grew wide and he let go of me all together. It suddenly got cold. I looked down and felt bad. "I wasn't thinking about being a vampire. I know how much you don't want me to be one." He was a stone wall as I walked a stepped forward and pressed myself against him, wrapping my hands once more into his sweater. "I won't bring it up again." He shook his head.

"I'm a monster," he fell down into the sand and I knelt down with him.

"Shut up," I said sternly.

"Maggy, I hurt you. I hurt my own wife. The mother of my child," I kissed him. I pressed my lips to his cold ones and didn't move. I took in the metallic taste and relished it. Our lips then began to dance and my husband wrapped his arms gently around me once more.

We went back to the castle and only then did I see the bruises that Alexandru had left from squeezing my arms. He was in his studies literally planning a funeral for someone as I put Levi to bed. The little babe was in his crib as I stood in the bathroom with no shirt on. I stood in front of the mirror looking back at my skinny self. Most of the time a woman gains non-baby weight when she's pregnant. Not me. I hardly ate while carrying Levi. And since having him, I've only gotten skinnier.