Page 27 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow (Eternal Oath Saga #2)

Katherine

One Month Later

I take a slow sip from my cup of tea, letting the warmth spread through me, but my mind is far from the present. It drifts back, to the chaos, back to the impossible nightmare I somehow survived.

I was kidnapped. I was in a torture house on an island. Alex almost died saving me.

The memories feel unreal, like something from a story I read rather than something I lived. I exhale. A deep, steadying breath. That chapter is over. We made it.

But the thing that lingers in my mind, heavier than any of those horrors, is the life growing inside me.

My free hand drifts to my belly, resting there softly, almost instinctively. There’s nothing to feel yet, no kicks or movement—but I still feel it. That warmth. That knowing.

I’m going to be a mother.

I glance at the clock. 8:00 PM. Almost as if on cue, the doorbell rings.

I set my cup down, smoothing my hands over my sweater before making my way to the door. My heart beats a little faster as I open the door for Alex.

When he steps inside, it feels like the air is just that bit more charged. It always does with him.

We don’t speak right away. We just stand there.

Alex’s eyes hold mine, deep and unreadable, but warm. He doesn’t smile—not in the way most people do—but his expression is soft, something steady and sure. My chest tightens. My mind goes over all the different moments that have led us here. From him just being a mysterious janitor, to how he saved my life multiple times. I’ve saved his. We have been through things that should have broken us. And yet, here we are, standing in my doorway, staring at each other.

The silence stretches, but it isn’t awkward. And then, without thinking, I ask, “Would you like some tea?”

A flicker of amusement crosses his face. “I’d love some.”

I nod, turning toward the kitchen. I feel his presence behind me as I pour the tea. When I bring him his cup, he takes it with a quiet “thank you,” his fingers brushing mine for the briefest second. The touch is fleeting, but my skin burns from it anyway.

We sit at my dining table, the only sound for a moment the quiet clinking of ceramic as we sip our tea.

Finally, I speak. “How are things at the kingdom?”

Alex exhales, setting his cup down. “The kingdom is moving forward,” he says. “Since Valerian’s death, everything has been… settling.”

He pauses, his jaw tightening slightly, as if the weight of everything still lingers in his bones. “I’ve spent the last month holding trials for the council members who sided with Valerian. The ones who betrayed the kingdom.” His voice darkens slightly. “They’re all facing justice now.”

I watch him carefully, noticing the way his shoulders tense just slightly, the way he drums his fingers absently against his cup.

“Is it hard?” I ask.

His gaze lifts to mine. “What?”

“Judging them. Knowing they betrayed you. Knowing they would have let you die.”

For a moment, he says nothing. Then, finally, he leans back, exhaling slowly. “I thought it would be,” he admits. “That it would make me want revenge.” He pauses, his eyes shadowed. “But it didn’t.”

I frown slightly. “Then what did it make you feel?”

He looks at me, there’s something vulnerable in his expression.

“Tired,” he says. “It made me feel tired.”

The words hit something deep inside me. I understand them in a way I don’t think I could have before everything happened. There’s a kind of exhaustion that isn’t just about lack of sleep. It’s deeper. It’s something that settles in you, something you carry no matter how much time passes.

I reach for my cup, taking a slow sip, giving him space to breathe. And for a while, we just sit there, drinking our tea in the quiet.

Alex leans back in his chair, his fingers loosely wrapped around his cup of tea. His gaze is steady, contemplative. He exhales softly, then looks at me. “And what about you?”

I blink, slightly caught off guard. “Me?”

His lips twitch in something that’s not quite a smile. “Yeah, you. How have things been with the company?”

I straighten a little, my fingers tightening slightly around my cup. “Good,” I say, and it’s the truth. I hesitate for just a second before adding, “There’s been a lot of changes, though.”

Alex doesn’t look away. He waits, patient, attentive, like he always is when we talk.

I take a breath. “I had three board members arrested.”

His brows lift, but he doesn’t interrupt.

I press on, my voice steady. “They were high ranking members, powerful ones. But they were part of the plot to murder my parents. They wanted them out of the way so they could control things.” I swallow. “My private investigator finally got the evidence we needed. There’s no way out for them. They’re facing long sentences. Maybe life.”

Alex doesn’t react right away. He just absorbs the words, his gaze darkening slightly as he processes them. And then, slowly, he nods. “Good,” he says, his voice firm. “They deserve worse.”

I let out a slow breath. “It doesn’t bring my parents back,” I murmur, more to myself than him. “But it brings me something. Knowing they’ll spend the rest of their lives answering for what they did.”

Alex watches me, his expression unreadable. Then, after a beat, he asks, “And Frank?”

I inhale sharply. My stomach tightens. “He’s been arrested too. My investigator uncovered proof. He was the master mind behind the plan to kill my parents. And…” I pause, my throat tightening. “He was working with Valerian.”

Alex’s expression turns cold. I can see the change in him immediately—the way his shoulders stiffen, the way his fingers curl slightly against his cup.

“He was part of the plot that got me kidnapped.”

The words leave my lips, quiet but unshaken, heavy enough to shift the air around us.

“He did it himself. He delivered me to Valerian.”

I inhale deeply. The next part—this part—is personal to him. I take a moment, then continue.

“From the evidence my private investigator gathered… and from Frank’s confession… Valerian had approached my father, trying to secure the asset transfers he needed to sway your council members—the ones who took bribes. My dad must have sensed something was off, so he refused. That’s when Valerian went to Frank. Frank and three other board members helped him pull the deals off in secret. And when my father caught on to it—” my throat tightens, but I force the words out—“that’s when they had him killed.”

I swallow hard before continuing.

“Frank was hoping to become CEO after that. When that didn’t happen, he planned to kill me, too. And when you took back your kingdom, Valerian offered him one last chance—to return to the company and finally take the position he always wanted.”

I let the final words settle, the weight of them pressing into the space between us.

Alex exhales, slow and measured, but his eyes… they burn.His hands curl into fists on the table, knuckles whitening. He doesn’t speak right away, doesn’t so much as breathe for a long, tense moment. He just stares down at his tea.

Finally, he exhales. “If it was up to me,” he mutters, his voice dark with something lethal, “he’d rot in a dungeon in the kingdom.”

A shiver runs down my spine. Not from fear, but from the sheer weight of his fury.

Alex shakes his head, and when his gaze lifts to meet mine, there’s something searching in it. He doesn’t need me to say it. He already knows, I wouldn’t want that.

Frank will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He’ll never see the light of day as a free man again. And for me, that’s enough.

Alex studies me for a moment longer before his expression changes, softens just enough. He leans back slightly, his eyes still locked on mine.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice quieter now, careful. “I mean… he’s still your family. It must be…” He exhales again, as if searching for the right word. “Hard.”

I hold his gaze, letting the question settle in the space between us. And then, slowly, I nod.

“Yeah,” I admit. “It is. But it’s what he deserves. He killed my parents. He was ready to have me killed. The only thing that weighs on me is that my own cousin could do this. But Frank… after everything he’s done? He can rot.”

Alex watches me for a beat longer, then reaches out, brushing his fingers lightly over mine. The gesture is brief, but it lingers in the space between us.

He leans back slightly. “And what about Lawrence?” he asks, his tone careful. “Wasn’t he culpable too?”

I shake my head. “No. Turns out, he’s just an old man clinging to outdated family values. He was just as shocked as anyone when the truth about the board members and Frank came out.” I sigh. “He’s a pain, but he’s not a murderer.”

Alex studies me, then gives a slow nod. “Then that’s everyone,” he says. “All the enemies locked away.”

Relief flickers through me at the words. A finality I hadn’t let myself feel until now. I nod. “Yeah. Finally.”

A silence settles between us, not uncomfortable, just… full. We sip our tea in quiet understanding, letting everything sink in.

And then, Alex breaks the silence. His voice is quieter now, more careful. “Katherine.”

I glance up. His expression is earnest, something raw.

He hesitates, like he’s choosing his words with care. “About the child…”

My heart clenches. I don’t speak. I just let him go on.

“I need you to know,” he says, “it was never about me not wanting a child. It wasn’t that. It’s just… I was scared.” His jaw tightens. “I still am.”

I blink, my breath catching slightly.

He goes on. “You know now that a shifter baby can be hard for a human mother to carry. The birth—it can be dangerous. And I don’t want you in danger. I can’t lose you.” His voice drops slightly, rough.

Something in me softens. Deepens.

I reach out without thinking, sliding my hand over his. His skin is warm, his grip strong, and I feel the protectiveness in him.

“I understand now,” I say quietly. “I didn’t before, but now I do. Your reluctance—it wasn’t because you didn’t want this. It was because you were trying to protect me.”

He swallows, his throat bobbing, but he doesn’t speak.

I stand slowly, moving toward him. He watches me, his gaze tracking every step. And then, gently, I take his hand in mine and press it against my stomach.

His breath hitches. The air between us thickens.

I hold his gaze, my voice steady, strong. “Alex,” I whisper, “I want this child. Our child. And I want you to want them too.” My throat tightens, but I push through. “This baby… they aren’t something to fear. They’re ours. They’re a piece of you and a piece of me. They’re a result of the depth of what we are.”

Alex doesn’t move. He just listens.

I tighten my grip on his hand. “I’m strong,” I tell him, my voice firm. “I can handle this. I can handle anything, as long as you’re by my side.”

His eyes darken. There’s something deep and consuming in them.

I go on. “I don’t want you to feel like you always have to shield me. I just want you to be with me, Alex. Through everything. Because together, there’s nothing we can’t face.”

For a long, breathless moment, he doesn’t speak. And then, slowly, Alex rises to his feet.

The moment thickens, turning into something bigger than words. He stares at me like I’m something precious, something fragile but unbreakable. His hands come up, gripping my waist, pulling me in like he needs to feel me, to anchor himself in this moment.

“I will be with you,” he says, his voice like a promise. “Through everything. Whatever comes, whatever happens—I’m with you.” His hands tighten. “I love you, Katherine.”

My chest aches at the words.

I reach up, my fingers grazing his jaw. “I love you too, Alex.”

And then, he pulls me close.

His lips crash onto mine, deep and needing, his hands pressing against my back, molding me to him like he never wants to let go.

And I know, in this moment, he never will.

And neither will I. The kiss deepens, filled with so much need and desperation. It’s like an eruption of emotions, of everything we’ve endured. I let him push me deeper into himself, pressing me against himself as if he wants to fuse our bodies together.

I can feel everything about him, every one of my sensory organs focused on him. His scent fills my nose, my tongues tastes him, tangling with his tongue as we kiss, my skin feels his heat and his strength. His bulge pushes against me, firm and thick, a clear testament to his need. A need that’s just as great as mine.

I tug on his shirt, undoing the buttons in a breathless flash. My hands move over him, tracing through the hard lines of his chiseled chest and abdomen. He’s just as desperate to see me with my clothes off, his strong arms pull at my sweater and I raise my arms, letting him slip it off from over me.

As soon as my sweater is off, he tilts downwards and lifts me into his arms. I stare in his eyes, and they’re filled with different things. An incredible gentleness mixed with an almost terrifying intensity. He carries me to the room, pushing the door open with an ease that makes me wonder if I weigh nothing in his arms. He leans in, dropping me like a feather on the bed, and his lips crash into mine again.

I undo my trousers myself, desperate to feel him everywhere. He notices and helps me peel them off, leaving me in just my underwear and bra. Those don’t last very long either. Alex finds the hook, removing my bra, and his mouth hungrily swallows my nipple. The sensation is so intense that I gasp, my hands clutching his face, caressing gently as he sucks and flicks his tongue over my nipple like a starving man. Each suck and flick adding fuel to the fire of my need, making me crave him more and more.

And that need pushes me. I latch onto his hand and guide it under me, to my core, to the part of me that yearns for him the most. His mouth doesn’t miss a beat from what he’s doing to my nipples when his hand starts to swirl in a circular motion over my now soaking lace panties. His fingers swirl over my clit, making my breath hitch.

“Yes Alex!” I moan out, my body starting to react. My hips bucking into his palm. Needing more. He takes his hand up to my mouth and I don’t even need him to say anything. I part my lips and he sinks his fingers into my mouth, caressing my tongue and dipping deep into my throat. I gag, the reflex act making his finger wet. And now he has what he needs.

He glides his now wet finger out and takes them down again, slipping the soaking lace fabric to the side. One finger slips in, and then two, the agonizing pleasure searing through me as his lips continue to work relentlessly on my hard nipple.

Alex fingers me till my eyes water with sheer desire for him. His tongue licks my body like he’s worshiping me. The room fills out with the sound of my pussy, it’s so loud that I’m almost surprised at how wet I am. But that’s what he does to me.

“Please… Let me suck your cock.” I say, my voice raspy. I need to feel him, to taste him. Alex stands immediately, unbuttoning his trousers and freeing his thick, veiny cock. And I can tell by the sight of it that he’s drowning in as much desire as I am. It hangs straight, erect, hard. I grab it gently and pull it to my mouth, enclosing it with my lips, and when Alex lets out a rough groan, a spark of pride flickers in my chest.

His hands are long enough, and he reaches downward, fingers still thrusting into me with breakneck speed as I take his cock in my mouth. The sensation makes me suck harder, faster, frantically as he pulls me closer and closer to my edge.

“You’re ready now.” He says. I turn to look at his eyes, and he is completely darkened by raw desire. It makes me bite my lip, seeing him look at me like that.

He pushes against me gently, till my back lays on the bed. I don’t hesitate, I hold onto my legs, keeping them spread. I need him. I need him now.

Alex hovers over me. He glides his stiff member over my entrance first, teasing me. He taps it over my pussy, like he’s knocking before coming in. It drives me crazy.

“Alex. Now.. I need you now.” I say. And then he gives me what I want. The moment his cock sinks into me, it’s like a puzzle finally coming together. It feels so fucking good. We both moan out loud at that first thrust.

He starts off gentle, his strokes gliding the full length of him in and out of me. I hold onto his face, caressing. “Yes Alex. This feels so good.”

“You’re so perfect Katherine. You’re my Queen. My love. My life.”

Heat rises to my face as he says this. The words sound so raw, so indisputably earnest.

“I love you. I love you so much.” He breathes out as his thrusts go faster, his cock slamming into me.

“I love you baby.” He says again, full on ramming into me now.

“I love you too.” I manage, the words coming out of me in a low breathless rush right before my body gets caught in an almost violent rattle. Every nerve ignites, my legs shiver, my eyes roll back. It’s like an earthquake in my body as I reach an ecstasy so great it might as well register as a near death experience.

“I love you.” The words fall from me in a rabid cry. And even though my brain is scrambled right now from the sheer strength of this orgasm. I mean those words. I love him, more than anything.