Blood King | Book Three of Blood Trilogy

Chapter 39

Zayden 

The hushed conversation between Uncle Aidan and I stirred Mia awake. I hurried to her side then sat in the chair beside her hospital bed. She was glancing around confused then her gaze landed on my eyes. 

Her heartbeat was racing at such a fast pace that it seemed as if her heart would burst through her chest. She clenched a fistful of the bed sheet with her right hand. 

The pace of her chest rising up and down slowed until she was breathing normally and just stared at me with bewildered eyes. 

"How are you feeling?" I asked before reaching out and giving a soft touch on her forearm. She remained still. Her lips moved up as if wanting to speak but no sound came out. 

"Y-you know, you can talk to me. You are safe here." I hesitated to exclaim. Perhaps everything was too overwhelming for her. Maybe she simply just wanted to return home. 

"I'll take you home once you feel well enough." I stated, looking down to my hand that was placed gently on her skin. She didn't recoil from my touch. 

"N-no. Don't take me home. They'll find me again. I don't want to go home." She whispered just enough for me to hear, though I'm sure Uncle Aidan heard her from where he was standing. Her body was shaking and goosebumps rose along her limbs. 

"You can stay here for as long as you want. I just didn't want to hold you back where you wouldn't feel comfortable. Please make yourself at home." I exclaimed gently then offered a small smile, revealing the dimple on my right side. She let out a small chuckle. 

"Thank you so much, Zayden." She blushed then glanced down to where I had my hand atop her arm. I reacted by letting go of my grasp and the electrical feeling that I've been feeling for the past few minutes stopped. The buzzing and adrenaline came to an end. The excitement felt over. 

My eyes moved back up to her brown ones. She was staring at me with a confused look on her face. 

"Where am I?" I hesitated on answering her question and sat silent for a long second. 

"You're safe and sound in my home." I stated then paused before saying anything else to see how she'd react.

"This is your house?" She asked with her eyebrows raised. Uncle Aidan shuffled slightly on his feet but he remained standing where he was. 

"Yes. It's my parents' house." I answered. "It's been passed down for generations and generations." I added on. Her mouth was wide open and she didn't say anything. 

"Your parents wouldn't mind if I stayed, would they?" She asked in a quiet tone. I shook my head. 

"Don't worry about it. They do not mind at all. Now, take this time to rest." I exclaimed and stood from her bedside. "I'll see you later." She gave a small wave and I walked out the door of the infirmary with Uncle Aidan following closely behind. 

"I've never seen this side of you before. You went soft and touchy. I guess that's what a mate does to you. I remember when your father met your mother. It's like he couldn't stop smiling." Aidan stated as we walked down the hallway. I let out a long breath and rubbed a hand down my face. 

I want to make her feel like I'm not holding her back, but what if she eventually feels that way, before I even tell her that we're mates? 

I waved at Uncle Aidan then branched off down another hallway towards Alexia's room. 

Having made my way to her bedroom doors, I knocked on it a couple times and she opened the door and let me in. Hazel was sitting on the couch and gave me a smile as a greeting.

After approaching my sister's bed, I fell right on top of it, face first. Hazel let out a laugh. 

"That bad, huh?" She questioned from across the room. I turned my face to the side to look at her then nodded slowly. 

"I can just feel her. Her energy but it's just too far out of reach. Alexia over here has a man who understands the situation, and to add to it, is already a vampire. I just feel like there's a pressure in which I have to tell her about our true form and then who knows how she'll react." I exclaimed then threw my hands up in the arm. 

Hazel just stared at me with her eyebrows raised. 

"You truly are experiencing internal conflict, brother." Alexia said as she laid down beside me on the bed. Hazel made her way to us and laid down on my other side. 

"How did father do it with mother?" I asked. 

"I heard grandmother just revealed the truth to mother and then she ran away. I mean, we've heard of the story several times." My sister replied. I knew about the story, but how did father convince mother to stay and accept the fact that vampires actually exist? 

"If someone truly loves you, they will accept you, no matter what or who you are. It's also about understanding. It takes patience and then time will come." Hazel spoke up as the three of us just laid on the bed, staring up at the vaulted ceiling. 

My sister and I turned our heads to look at the lady laying with us. She, who still hasn't met her mate yet, is giving love advice suitable for married couples. 

"I just want to tell her so badly. I feel like if we have everything out in the open then there would be less damage done because the longer I wait, then she might not accept me at all, knowing that this whole time, she's been under the roof of the vampire royalty." I said. Alexia was nodding but remained silent.

We had laid there for about an hour before I got up from the bed, told the ladies that I would go talk with her, then left the room.

I walked into the infirmary and saw Mia with her eyes closed, but when I approached her bedside, she opened her eyes. This time, we were all alone, so I took the opportunity to grab onto her hand. 

"Am I the only one to feel this sort of energy and passion between us?" I questioned her. I needed to know whether this feeling onto flowed one way. She shook her head to my question, resulting in me drawing out a deep breath. 

"What does it feel like to you?" I asked her.

"I've never had this feeling before. It feels like there's this pull that's wanting to bring you closer to me, like we should be side-by-side and that everything will be okay for as long as we're together." She whispered then glanced down at our intertwined fingers. 

"I feel this rush that makes my heart beat fast. My palms get sweaty when I think of you." She blushed after saying that last statement. "You just brings chills down my spine and all I can think about is kissing you." She whispered the last part while looking down at my lips, with hers slightly parted. 

Her pink lips were desperately wanting to meet mine. So I leaned in closer, using my free hand to slide it to the back of her neck then pulled her close enough where our faces were only an inch away. Her heart was racing and her breathing was just enough to escape through her slightly open mouth. 

"Kiss me." She whispered in a voice that was soft and low. 

And so I did. I leaned down to put my lips over hers. It was soft and gentle at first, but then she reached her other hand up and pulled me down closer with a tug behind my neck. 

The chills that traveled down my spine and rose the hair up on the back of my neck was caused by the gentle touch of her lips and the gentle hold of her hands wrapped around me. 

"What is this that I am feeling?" She mumbled between kisses. I pulled back then leaned my forehead on top of hers with both of us breathing heavily. 

"You're my mate, Mia."