Matched

Alexis & Drake

Alexis sat on the edge of the bed staring through the window into space. Her hands were resting upon her knees. She clenched, then opened them. There was no way off the ship. There was no way away from Drake. There was nothing she could do except contend with her feelings.

She hated her feelings. As much as she hated herself.

Accepting the fact that she'd be stuck with Drake had been hard enough. Could she accept this too? Alexis looked down at her belly with a frown, then turned her face with a grimace. It wasn't the same. There was no magical bond like there was with Drake. Magical. Huh! What a way to put it. She'd hardly call it magical—more a curse. Yes. A fucking curse.

Alexis bit her lip. It was only a few cells dividing in her uterus—and she already hated it. 'It's not fucking fair.'

She was never meant to be a mother. Why couldn't one of the other women have fallen pregnant? She dragged her fingers down her face. Drake. She wanted to be angry at him. She was angry at him. It made her feel sick. It hurt to be angry at him. She could feel him now, moving around the ship. He'd kept away, just as she'd asked. Not that it mattered. He was likely feeling exactly what she was feeling. There was no more privacy. She was lucky to be even able to think in private.

Alexis stood and paced the room. Perhaps she shouldn't worry too much. Like Miktar had said, there was every chance it wouldn't be viable. It was likely she could just miscarriage naturally. But then what? Wouldn't Drake like to attempt again?

Men are like that, came a nasty voice. They couldn't care less about what your wants are, your health, even your life, if it means they get what they want.

Not Drake, she told the voice.

He took you against your will.

He regrets that now.

The voice sniggered.

She needed to get out of this room. Better yet, she needed to get off this ship. She went towards the door, but stopped. She reached up to touch her "mark". It was more pronounced than ever, the bumps hard against her fingers. How must it look? She dropped her hand with a scowl. Such a private thing to be put on display. Everyone would look at her. She would be reminded of her condition at every turn.

Alexis backed away. She wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed the centre of attention. She turned back towards the window, only to spin back around as the door opened.

*

'Alexis,' Drake spoke. 'Enough of this.'

Alexis lifted her chin. Her eyes looked swollen, as though she'd been crying or had been struggling to hold her tears back. He felt them now, sitting like a pressure at the back of his throat. The door snapped shut behind him as he walked inside.

Drake frowned, noticing how the clenched hands at her sides trembled. He'd been feeling her from across the ship. He'd hoped that with some hours alone she could resolve something. But her feelings were worse than ever.

'We need to talk,' he said.

'I don't want to talk.'

'But you have been. You might as well have been talking with me this whole time.' He paused. 'I know what you're feeling.'

'But you don't understand it. You, who have always wanted this.'

'Yes.'

'It's far easier to accept dreams than nightmares.'

'A little melodramatic, isn't it? I hardly think this is a nightmare.'

'Not for you, maybe.'

Drake folded his arms. 'Get over it.'