Page 176 of Vampires of Eden

“I will. I promise.”

CHAPTER 42

Alexander

Fuck Reginald Vern from theCentral Eden Courier and News. And fuck his camerawoman, Rema, too.

What a couple of snakes.

This is why you should always trust your instincts. I knew something was slimy about him and here we are. Instead of focusing on the impressive opening of the safe house and all of Kathryn and Roland’s innovative and hard work, this voyeuristic bastard was sneaking around in the woods and snapping candid pictures of me and Danny during a private moment.

The photos are crisp, too, like they were working with some crazy zoom capabilities.Andthey named him outright in the article. Daniel Lim. I am furious.

I didn’t look at my phone and the article online until I’d gotten in the car and I’m glad. Not that I’m above losing my shit in front of Danny (because, let’s face it, that’s already happened more times than I can count). But he was already stressed from Raphael’s calls. It’s amazing how I could feel his anxiety pinching my upper spine as if it were my own. One of us needed to be calm.

Us… I really… I still can’t believe it.

I’m angry as hell, but simultaneously trying to be a mature adult about being mated with a man that I have probably lovedsince before I even knew what love was. If I think too hard or deeply about Danny and what we are now—what we’ve done—I think I’ll just combust into a cloud of glitter.

Either way, I will be completely useless. I need to focus right now.

In addition to at least six missed calls and voice messages from Raph, I also had three calls and one message from my mother asking, “WHERE ARE YOU?” All caps. A text from Sebastian asking me, quote, “Leksey! Is this article for real??” And last, a message from Nadya that simply says, “Hey, are you alright? Please call me when you have a minute.”

I didn’t respond to anyone.

By the time I pull into the garage behind the estate, I don’t have a plan. I’ve spent the two-hour-long drive thinking of all the things I could say to my mother—about Danny and everything he means to me. About the aristocracy and how we need to stop adhering to these outdated, cruel and strict rules surrounding mating and relationships. About how my life choices are my own and she can’t make decisions for me anymore because I’m not a child.

In my heart, all of this feels like more than enough justification to make her see my side of things and accept my decisions. Regardless, I know it won’t hold with her. Not even a little.

I step out of the car and the inner door that leads to the house swings open. Raphael is there, looking uncharacteristically pale. The Irish part of his Irish-Italian heritage peeks through in this stressful moment. He swiftly closes the door behind him, takes a couple of steps toward me, then stops dead.

His chestnut-colored eyes grow wide as he takes me in. He blinks, dramatically. I’m about to say something, but he steps into the space of my body and wraps me in a firm embrace. Surprised, I hug him back in the silence.

“Congratulations,” he says warmly, then pulls away and takes me in again. “I said so, didn’t I? I was right.”

“You were right,” I admit.

“Are you happy?”

My face warms. “I’m ecstatic.”

Releasing me from the embrace, Raphael nods. “Fantastic. Poor timing, though.”

I shrug. “Was there ever going to be good timing?”

He forces a weak smile. “Probably not. It’s bad, Lexie. She’s… I’ve never seen her this angry before.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with her on your own.”

“Well, you were obviously busy.” He exhales a heavy breath and runs his fingers through the short length of his gingery hair. “You ready? She’s waiting with your father in his study.”

“Let’s go,” I say, rolling my shoulders as I step around him and head toward the door. Raphael follows.

We walk into the house, down the hall and I’m nervous as hell but determined. My stress level is high but adrenaline pushes me forward—the certainty of knowing there’s something important that I need to do. Someone I need to face when I’ve been avoiding her for too long.

“I like Daniel a lot,” Raphael says, trailing me as we turn the corner into the hall that leads to Father’s office.

“You’ve made that pretty clear.”