Page 89 of Red Queen

In a blur of supernatural speed, he sweeps me into his arms, capturing my mouth in a crushing kiss that sets my blood aflame. I melt into him, relishing the exquisite press of his lips moving against mine, his tongue delving deep to claim me. In this blissful moment, the looming war fades away, eclipsed by the sheer perfection of being enveloped in Alexandru’s embrace, of drowning in his intoxicating scent.

When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing hard, pulses racing in sync.

“I care deeply for you, Eleanna,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. “More than life itself. Never doubt that.”

Tears prick my eyes. This powerful warrior, this stoic general, exposing his deepest feelings, his very soul, to me. The vulnerability in his gaze cracks open my own armored heart. “I could never doubt you, Alexandru. You are my strength.”

He lets me go and starts to roll up the map. Then he gestures to the door and I go through, together we make out way to the bedchamber. We should prepare for the arduous journey ahead. But we’re not leaving now.

I close the door and lean against it. “We’re more than alone. Whatever shall we do?”

“Would you care to spar, my Queen?” Alexandru’s eyes glint.

Laughter bubbles up at the unexpected question, and I nod. “Very well.”

His black pony-tailed hair sways as he assumes a combat stance, beckoning me with a taunting smirk.

Smiling, I step into the center of the room. The damp stone walls echo with our every move as we circle each other.

“Prepare to be disarmed.” He lunges forward with a speed that would intimidate any other opponent.

I parry his strike, pushing back with equal force. “That’s your tactic…will you ever learn?”

“Perhaps I enjoy being corrected by you.” His voice is low, his movements fluid and mesmerizing.

“Is that so?” I feint to the left and then turn, slipping under his guard. With a swift move, I pin him against the wall, my body pressed close to his. “Looks like I win again.”

“Your victory...is my surrender.” Alexandru’s breath fans across my face, his gaze never leaving mine.

Time seems to slow as we embrace, the air electric between us. Alexandru’s strong hands cup my face, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheek with a tenderness that belies his fierce warrior’s heart.

“Eleanna, my beloved...”

“Alexandru,” I breathe against his lips. “I am yours, now and always.”

His eyes blaze with an intensity that steals breath. “And I am yours, my fierce beauty. In this life and the next.”

A smile tugs at my mouth. “Pretty words, General. But can you back them up on the battlefield?”

His answering grin is wolfish. “Is that a challenge, Your Highness? I never back down from a fight.”

“Good,” I whisper, nipping playfully at his bottom lip. “Because this war has only just begun. And I need my fearsome vampire warlord by my side.”

He captures my mouth once more in a kiss that’s both possessive and claiming. I surrender to the heat of it, the sheer rightness of being in his arms. The power singing through my veins is a benediction and a chance to rise from the ashes of my past and forge a new future with the man I love.

“In alliance, we will build a kingdom that will last a thousand years,” I say. “And our love will be the stuff of legends.”

Alexandru laughs, low and warm, the sound curling around my heart like a caress. “I feel sorry for the fool who tries to stand in our way.”

And in that perfect, shining moment, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing—not even Catarina’s deceit, not the weight of my father’s legacy, nor death itself—can tear us apart.

The weight of my father’s blood in my veins is a gift—a chance for rebirth, free from the shadows of the past. Vulnerability is no longer a weakness but the very source of our strength, binding us in harmony with indestructible cords of trust and affection. Because of him, this man.

“Alexandru,” I whisper between kisses, “I love you.”

The words hang in the air, heavy with truth and certainty. He pulls back slightly, searching my face, and the depth of his devotion shines bright.

“Say it again,” he urges.

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