The Grace of a Thousand Stars (PREQUEL)

Chapter 19- Changing of the Tides

--Alaric POV--

Once the yacht docked back at the port, Ines bid me farewell before following a brooding Malachi, whom I threatened to even dare try putting another hand up against her, and whether he heeded that threat or not was left to Maxwell to deal with.

I returned home with the knowledge that Humans were no longer at the top of the food chain, and I only wondered what other species were out there that weren't just myths. So far, I know that Mermaids, Sirens, and Witches were real, but what else?

I was curious with the questions eating up at me, but I didn't want to overstep any boundaries by hoarding Ines with all the questions.

So, after washing up, I simply lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling as I was reminded of how she was beside me the last time I was here, sleeping soundly like a baby. Pretty like a dream with chubby, kissable cheeks, soft pink lips, and raven black hair spread around her in a perfect mess.

I've had girlfriends before, but they were nothing like Ines, in fact, they were the complete opposite. They were tall, blonde, and free. She was small, perfectly fitting into my arms, with black hair hanging around her in perfect soft ringlets. None of them ever plagued my mind as she did, none of them ever appeared in my dreams like wild seductresses, and thinking back on it, I had thought they were the one for me at the time, but I must've been wrong.

I was so desperate to be loved, and having given up on my parents, I went to them, unaware that a woman as innocently soft and caring as Ines was right under my nose the whole time.

But I found her now.

And yet there was still another obstacle left preventing me from speaking. She wants freedom more than anything, and she comes from a place where I can't go, so the last thing I wanted was to become another chain that keeps her away from her home. I want her happiness over anything else right now.

The buzzing of my phone on the side cabinet alerted me back to reality as I looked to the side, picking the device up as I looked at the unknown number, wondering who it was that was trying to reach me at this time of night.

Nevertheless, I picked up with a confused frown marring my lips.

"Hello, Alaric Clemente speaking. Who is this?"

"It is you, thank god! I was so worried that Maxwell gave me the wrong number, and-" It wasn't hard to guess who it was. Both haters and lovers all knew this woman by her singing voice, but I knew her by her laugh, it wasn't exactly a laugh that I would dare to forget.

"-Ines?" I asked, unintentionally cutting her off as she spoke.

"Yes!" She happily sang her reply, and I could almost see the grin on her face through the phone call, a smile climbing onto my own face at the thought as I sat up in bed, leaning back on the headboard as I got comfortable.

"How did you get my number?" I asked the main question at hand.

"I'm talking from Maxwell's phone, he said he got the number from Sandra." She curtly answered, and I imagined her sitting on her window nook like she was doing last time, legs pulled up to her chest as she spoke.

"Yeah. So, what brought on this sudden desire to speak to me? For you to go to so much trouble, did you miss my voice that much? We just said goodbye a few hours ago." I joked, but as usual, she took me by surprise with her answer.

"Yes. I missed your voice."

"...You did?" I raised a brow, not hearing a reply as I imagined her nodding her head. "Is this your first ever phone call, Ines?" I laughed.