A TMC Story

Chapter 8

Kaiden's POV

In the middle of the night, Kaiden's ComTCD began beeping rapidly.

Kaiden groaned quietly. They were message notifications.

Quickly muting the sound, he checked his ComTCD. Sure enough, they were messages in response to what he had sent all of them, and he was pleased with their answers.

D.C. had said: Aww, Kaiden, that's adorable! Of course I'll be there! -Dix

Jordan had said: Yeah, man. 100%, I wouldn't miss this for the world. From Jordan

Bear had said: Whoooo! We were all wondering when it was going to happen! And yes.

Declan had said: She'll love it, Kaid. I'll be ready and waiting. Dec

Jeera had said: Yes brother! Definitely. We've been waiting too long! And everyone else you got me to contact has agreed. Don't even get me started on Alex's parents! -J xoxo

With a smile on his face, Kaiden checked the time. It was four am. Xira already knew the plan and would have spoken to Zaylin in Tia Auras already. Kaiden knew that the empress was a friend to Alex, and respected their bond.

Kaiden fired off a message to Declan. Is everything good over there?

He could almost imagine Declan rolling his eyes as he received his response. Bro, I know what this means to you. Of course everything is good over here.

Kaiden grinned at the ComTCD before grabbing everything he needed, getting changed and gently waking Alex.

Alex's POV

"Kaiden?" Alex asked groggily. "What's the time? Why'd you wake me up?"

Alex took in his clothes. "You got changed? Please tell me we're not going on some early-morning walk? As nice as that'd be, it's Saturday."

Kaiden chuckled. "No. Come on, and get changed, would you?"

Alex looked at him strangely. "Um, sure." She obliged because she heard the anxiety and the anticipation in his voice, which made her curious. Just what did Kaiden have planned?

Alex dressed in something casual, because Kaiden wasn't dressed up. He was wearing a pair of unripped black jeans and a blue t-shirt, so Alex put on blue jeans and a green t-shirt inside the bathroom. Tying up her hair, she reentered the bedroom. There was a gleam in Kaiden's eyes when he said, "Ready to go?"

When Alex nodded, he asked her to call Soraya, which Alex did. Kaiden then whispered something to her Shadow Wolf, and to Alex's annoyance, Soraya almost looked amused. However, she flash-transported them both... to inside the foyer of the Library.

"Hey, Library?" Kaiden called. The Library provided a doorway, and Alex could have sworn that she heard a smug chuckle.

"Come on, Alex." Kaiden tugged Alex through the doorway...

And led them to the glittering colourful island in Lendasa Marna in Tia Auras.

"Kaiden, what?" Alex breathed.

Awaiting them was a group of people including Jordan, D.C., Bear and Declan. Jeera was also there with a strange look in her eyes. So were Alex's parents, Nisha, Roka, Kyia and Zain, and Zaylin too. Xira, too, to her surprise. 

Before she realised what was happening, Kaiden knelt down.

On one knee.

Alex's mouth opened into a silent gasp. Jeera appeared to be holding back laughter, but not the cruel kind. It was proud laughter. Loving laughter.

"Alex," Kaiden said softly. "When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen."

Alex was lost for words. Her emotions were all over the place, but not in a bad way. She processed Kaiden's words and felt love settle within her heart.

"Then Declan knocked you out, and, well, that was that. You kept showing up to Combat, and honestly, you weren't great."

Alex didn't even feel offended.

"But as we started spending more time together, I realised you were beautiful inside and out. There had always been something about you, and since I first saw you, I knew it was of the otherworldly kind. You being a Freyan... I didn't want to get close to you, because I thought you'd return to Freya once... everything... blew over."

Alex didn't know what to say. Her heart... it was bursting with warmth.

"But I couldn't help it. I love you, Alex. I've loved you since the year you arrived in Akarnae. And I know I'll love you every year, every day, every moment for the rest of my life, and even in death. Alex," Kaiden reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small jewellery box. He opened it. 

Alex gasped, and from the sounds she heard around her, she wasn't the only one beholding the ring for the first time. It was truly beautiful.

It felt as though time itself had stopped, waiting, waiting, waiting for her to say the word that it knew would come out of her mouth. That she knew would come out of her mouth. That everyone knew would come out of her mouth.

"Will you marry me?"

Alex stared at Kaiden. At the hope, the love, the anticipation in his brilliant blue eyes. She uttered the only word that she could.

"Yes!" she cried, launching herself at Kaiden. "Yes, yes, yes!"

He gently slid the ring on her finger. Kaiden swept her up in her arms and kissed her softly, then deeper. She reminisced the time when she had kissed Kaiden here before, her very first kiss, in fact. It was sweet of Kaiden to bring her back, and she loved him all the more for it, as impossible as she had previously considered that to be. 

It turned out that Kaiden already had everything planned. He and Alex stayed at Lendasa Marna for the entirety of the day with her friends. And when they finally returned to their house in Tryllin for the night, it was with a spirit so high that Alex felt that nothing, nothing, could ever bring it down.