FOREVER BONDED

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Alexander blinked a few times, opening his eyes for the first time in hours. Images of Vera whipped through his mind; her eyes, her blood, her sweet lips. Was I dreaming? He wondered. He turned to find Vera lying on her stomach directly next to him, sound asleep. The black sheet came up just below her hips and her back was completely exposed. Alexander ran his finger along her spine, tracing sweet nothings on her back. He pushed his large hands gently up her neck, brushing the hair away. She had an intricate tattoo on the back of her neck. It was of a dragon. It’s wings were small and it’s tail was long and thick, getting thinner and thinner as it wrapped around her neck to the back of her right ear where it stopped. The eyes were soft, but it’s tongue was long and venomous. It was beautiful and every detail was perfectly executed. He wondered about it’s significance. Suddenly, Vera’s eyes opened. She looked over at Alexander and their eyes met. They watched each other for a moment, wondering what was to happen next.  Neither of them had felt this in a long time. 

“Good morning, Alexander,” Vera whispered, closing her eyes. Her eye lashes were long and tickled her cheek bones. 

“Actually, it’s two in the morning, love,” he said looking over at Vera.

She did not open her eyes but a smile formed at her lips. Alexander admired the creases of her mouth and the size of her lips. Her face was that of angel.

Vera sat up in bed, covering herself with the black sheets. It was pitch black out, no sign of the sun. This is the way Vera liked it. She grabbed her underwear and slipped them on. She picked up Alexander’s shirt off the floor and buttoned it around her. She stood up and stretched, rotating her neck. She turned to find Alexanders starting at her, a large grin on his face. His buff chest and legs were exposed, the sheet barely covering the rest. A trail of hair went down his chest to his belly button and lower. Vera was momentarily distracted by the lust clouding her mind. She pushed it away. “What?” Vera said curiously, her chest beginning to heat up.

“You look better in my shirt than I do,” Alexander said with a sexy smirk.

“Mr. Fine, if you’re trying to seduce me, I’ve got to tell you, it’s working,” Vera said as she walked to the bathroom, trying her best to control herself.

Alexander laughed for a moment. He wondered if Vera would be charmed by him if she had a choice.

“Are Lucas and Evangeline home?” Alexander asked. ”I haven’t heard from them since you came home”

“I think they’re still asleep. They were probably exhausted from taking care of us,” Vera said looking down. Her eyes went blank and her uneasy expression was difficult for Alexander to read. He wondered if that would fade over time and if maybe one day he might be able to figure out what Vera really felt when she felt it.

Alexander rose off the bed and slipped on his boxers. He approached Vera but she did not look up. He put his hand on her cheek and leaned into her lips. Their lips brushed softly. Alexander gently caressed her cheek, pulling away from their kiss. He kissed her forehead, holding his lips there for a long time. Vera wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. She didn’t think there was a scent more pleasant than Alexanders. If warmth had a smell, than this was it.

“So, you never did tell my about what happened in Alaska,” Vera said as she inhaled more of his intoxicating aroma. She had remembered that Lucas and Alexander had come back from Alaska after having confronted the Serpents. 

Alexander’s eyes hardened at the thought. “They’re preoccupied, it seems. They didn’t show. Connections told me that they’re going to Russia for six months to deal with something more important. I guess killing me is not their top priority anymore” Alexander said with a chuckle. Vera cringed at the thought. Now that she was so deeply connected to Alexander, the thought of him getting hurt was painful and made her mind cloudy.

“Good,” Vera said, her head still a bit hazy. “Now Evangeline doesn’t have to worry about Lucas anymore.” She was worried about Evangeline, too. If Lucas got hurt, she would never recover.

“I suppose so,” Alexander said with a smile as he looked down into Vera’s eyes. The light green color and the silver specks in them made Alexander think of the spring and all it’s lovely stars at night.

“Vera...” he whispered leaning down and planting a kiss on her cheek. He continued down her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. Alexander slipped his hand behind her head, caressing the back of her neck. 

“Tell me about this tattoo you have,” Alexander said continuing to plant sensual kisses all over Vera’s neck. He could feel himself heating up, his blood boiling.

Vera closed her eyes and leaned her head back, enjoying the feeling of Alexander’s warm lips on her soft skin. Her eyes opened wide when Alexander asked about the tattoo, but he did not see the pain in her expression. 

“My parents died in a fire when I was seven years old. I was sent to an orphanage. I had a necklace that was my mothers. I found it after looking through the remains of our home; it was completely burnt to the ground. The necklace was the only thing I had left of her. It was gold and looked exactly like the tattoo” Vera sighed and placed her hand against her neck where the necklace once hung all those years ago. Thinking about her family did not affect her as much it used to, but it still gave her chills. She wondered what would they think of her now. Now that she was a monster. She didn't have many memories of her father, but her mother's face had always been fresh in her mind.

Alexander stopped kissing Vera’s neck, the heat in him subsiding. He looked into her eyes and whispered “I’m sorry."

Vera nodded “It’s alright” She sighed and continued the story. “On my first day at the orphanage, the head lady took it from me, saying it was to valuable for me to have. I remembered it all these years and decided to have it forever. I finally mustered the strength to get the tattoo in 1934” Vera could see hints of sadness in Alexander’s eyes. She kissed him. He tasted like peppermint and metal. It reminded her of Hector. Alexander wrapped his arms around Vera, pulling her into an embrace. Heat began to radiate from both their bodies. Their desire for each other was still very much there. In that moment, Vera realized that the fear that had paralyzed her for so long had melted away. It was gone, just like that. She could feel herself falling in love with Alexander. He was tender and gentle but he was also strong, sexy and smart. Yet, he was still a complete mystery. But now he belonged to her and only her.