Yolanda Sfetsos - Alex Wales - Promise

Damon paused in the open doorway. He half-turned to look at Alex one last time before leaving her alone. She’d fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. He’d stood by the side of the bed and watched her for a while.

Now, she lay on her stomach in the middle of the large bed, the white sheet pulled up to mid-back. Her bare shoulders glowed from the light of dawn, already spilling through the open window adjacent to her. The defined muscles of her shoulders, back, and arms flexed every now and then, as if she were exerting herself even during slumber.

He couldn’t help but wonder about her life before she reached Eden. Why had she crashed her ship here when no one else ever had? Why did she have liquid from Lake Eros onboard her ship? These questions made him realize that although he felt an instant rapport and a good dose of attraction toward Alex, he really didn’t know a thing about her.

That’s not going to stop me from protecting her or from getting to know her.

The connection he felt went deeper than whatever separate lives they’d been living before meeting. He knew she’d literally fallen on him for only one reason. Fate.

So much had happened tonight, and now morning would be upon them very soon. Maybe, he should think about getting some sleep as well.

She’s so beautiful. He couldn’t take his eyes off her curly hair and the way the sheet curved around her ass. It reminded him of how she’d reacted when he’d put a little bit of magic into his palm and pleasured her without really touching her. He hadn’t lied when he’d admitted she was the only person who reacted to his touch. A lot of magnetism flowed between them. No matter how annoyed and frustrated she got every time he mentioned their mutual magic.

He had to let her rest, now. So, he closed the door behind him and squeezed his hand around the bronze key and leather string, trying not to visualize the way her name was scrawled into the metal.

Alex hadn’t said too much about it. She’d looked so freaked out that he hadn’t bothered to push her. Instead, he led her out into the gardens, so she could breathe again. When she insisted she was too tired to face anymore, he accompanied her back to her room.

He’d felt a lot more on the object than a simple inscription. There was some deep, protective magic woven into this strange, bronze key. Not only could he read residue from Alex on it, but also another source. Someone with a much stronger ability had affected the object. He couldn’t help but wonder who’d given her the key in the first place. He might not have pushed her before, because of the obvious shock she’d suffered after seeing it, but he’d need to get some answers from her soon enough.

If she kept too many secrets from him, how was he going to protect her properly when others started to ask probing questions? He might know that a token of hers being left at the scene of the crime didn’t necessarily mean she’d done it, but others might use it to their advantage. The fact that Alex had been with him almost every moment since she’d crash landed, and when he was absent, she’d been accompanied by Aleena and her entourage, wouldn’t make any difference to Elroy.

“Will she be okay?” Levi asked, approaching from the other side of the darkened corridor, interrupting his thoughts.

Damon shrugged as he turned around. “I’m not sure.”

“What happened to her?”

“She didn’t go into specifics.” Damon tucked the key into his pocket and stared at the young man who still looked frazzled. “I’m sorry that we didn’t get a chance to go check out the area, but I will soon.”

“It’s okay, I understand. Though, I don’t think Elroy will be as forgiving. He wants to see you. The Priestess would like to know what you read off the girl, if anything.”

“I realize that, but I’m not leaving Alex alone in this room. Not when-”

“I thought as much,” a familiar voice called, a second before Elroy stepped out of the shadows of the corridor. “So, I decided to come and see you myself.”

“What do you want now, Elroy?” Damon ran a hand over his face. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of Elroy’s accusations at the moment. He knew what was at stake, was well aware that two more of their people had been mauled and eaten, and he hadn’t gone over to check it out, because Alex had taken precedence over everything. He had agreed to watch her, and that included taking care of her when she didn’t feel well.

Besides, he had no idea of how to tackle the strong and very violent images he’d read from Laurie’s mind. He intended to speak to Aleena about it and seek counsel from her. Not only was the animal out of place, but he wasn’t sure if Laurie would make it out of this unscathed. The young girl hadn’t responded to his healing via the arcane, and he was definitely worried about the consequences.

Elroy glanced at the closed door and scowled. “I need to talk to the space traveler.”

“Her name is Alex. Can’t you call her by her name?”

He stepped past Levi, until he stood directly across from Damon and the door. “Unlike you, I don’t wish to get close and personal with her, so referring to her as a ‘space traveler’ suits me just fine. I’ve already told you to watch yourself around her.” Elroy paused, narrowing his eyes. “You should stop acting like a lost idiot around her and see just how much she threatens our way of life.”

“Did Aleena get close and personal with you ?”

At the question, Elroy winced.

Damon suspected Elroy had probably been whipped, literally. Elroy was the only person who ever pushed Aleena far enough to receive such a punishment. Although, rumor had it that whips and chains were a usual part of their bedroom activities.

“Don’t ask what doesn’t concern you.” He peered at him with narrowed eyes. “Unless you’re jealous. Is that it? You wish the Priestess would take notice of you? ”

Damon almost gagged. He’d only ever seen Aleena as a mother figure, not as a possible sexual partner. Sure, she’d offered herself up many times, but how could he take a woman to bed who symbolized what a mother was supposed to be? He was an orphan, but she’d become his surrogate parent. Sleeping with her was out of the question, even if she desperately wanted to have his offspring.

Aleena was obsessed with his magical ability and wanted him to procreate, so there could be more like him within their society, since he was the only one. She didn’t even care if it was with other females, as long as he produced babies with them. He always refused, though. Having sex wasn’t the problem. He enjoyed that part, and it was enough for now. He just hadn’t felt the need to produce a child with any of the women in Eden, Aleena included.

“That’s really sick. You know how I see our Priestess,” Damon finally said. “Now, just tell me whatever the hell you’ve come here to say.”

“What I’d like to do is arrest the intruder.”

“On what grounds?”

Elroy snorted. “Isn’t it enough that a token of hers was found near the dead couple Milo showed me?”

“Do you have it with you?”

“No. I don’t, but I’m sure you know exactly where it is.” Elroy looked at Levi for a second, before returning his cold stare to Damon. He held out his palm. “Give it to me.”

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t make this hard on yourself, Damon,” he spat.

“Even if I did know where this mysterious token was, I sure as hell wouldn’t hand it over to you, so you can use it to pin false accusations on Alex.”