Chapter 63 063
Alexander's POV
“Fine. I'll accept an exchange. But first, you have to know that, after the snowfall and she doesn't acknowledge the mate bond, you'll vanish from the face of the earth just as fast as I placed you in your mother's womb. And trust me it'll be really painful because you've spent half your divine energy on healing the same woman.” The moon goddess explained, her gaze trained on me intently. But I didn't even blink.
“A blood exchange for a woman who isn't bound to you by the mate bond simply isn't acceptable. Now, tell me, do you still want to go through with this?” She asked, her voice clear as ice.
“I would never have summoned you if I would give up that easily. I can't stand you, you know? I called you here because of her” I told her plainly and I watched the corner of her lips curve up in an amused smirk.
I guess my father never paid proper attention to her for him to have spread pointless rumors about her being always expressionless and cold during all the meetings he experienced with her.
“Your father wasn't wrong, child. You just… amuse me, that's all” she muttered and I shot her a blank look.
“Seriously? You now eavesdrop on my private thoughts?” I asked as I took the dagger she handed to me.
“Forgive my impudence, Alpha” she muttered in obvious sarcasm.
I closed my hand around the dagger and sliced my palm open. She gave me a small pouch as well, and I just knew I had to leave the blood droplets inside it even before she said anything.
Heavenly goddess in hell, even a stab wound from raw silver didn't hurt as much as this does. It wasn't just a simple slice to my palm, a few droplets of blood taken or the painful chant it took to call her here. It was much more.
Not just anyone could pull off going through the pain like nothing happened. I barely felt pain and I thought I'd become immune to pain whatsoever, especially the physical version. But this, this was a fucking wake up call.
I barely saw the pouch vanish into thin air right in her hand as my sight went automatically blurry and fuzzy.
‘Right after the snowfall, Alexander!’ her voice echoed somewhere within my subconsciousness as she also vanished into the air.
It took nearly thirty minutes to regain my composure and it didn't help that Blake was overreacting, pounding at the door like I might hang myself to death in my own room.
“I'm still alive, you fucking son of a gun.” I said thickly as I dragged myself up from the ground before going to open the door.
He invaded my personal space within a blink, his expression devoid of any playfulness or the usual scowls.
“I'm fine…”
“You're bleeding and you're fine?!” He interrupted and I almost rolled my eyes visibly.
“It's just a cut. It's not even that deep. A ten year old could manage a cut like this” I told him, even though every joint in my body was screaming in physical and psychological protest.
“You're cold, Alexander. It's not normal for you to be cold and sweating at the same time” he pointed again and I patted his shoulders reassuringly.
“It's perfectly normal when you meet someone as cold as the Moon goddess and you were so nervous that you could shit yourself” I lied and I was surprised at how smoothly that came out.
“You should get treated anyway. I'd call a local physician, because apparently, you're official enemies with the clinic unless ‘she's’ around” he added and I didn't bother arguing, or he might just find out I've been lying about being fine. The farther he is from me, the easier it would be to keep my predicament to myself. So I agreed.
“Fine. You do that.” I said and he immediately walked out of my room after calling Jasmine to prepare a soothing and warm bath for me.
One would think he was my older brother and not my beta. But it was nice nonetheless.
Having someone who cared about you to the point of frustration could have its good perks just as much as it could be nerve wrecking.
The next pang of pain that traveled through my ribs washed whatever smirk of amusement I had on in the last millisecond.
“Fucking bitch!” I cursed loudly as I looked out my window only to realize the snow hadn't even started to fall.
I could bet my right eye that she was doing this on purpose, reminding me just how serious she was about my death being an extremely painful yet fast one if the mate bond wasn't acknowledged right after the snowfall.
But it doesn't matter. What matters is that Danica sees the snowfall and another desperate wish of hers gets fulfilled.
Jasmine prepared the bath as Blake had instructed but I sent her off right after that. I couldn't let her see me squinting and growling from the pain the goddess decided to put me through.
It didn't stop me from dressing up to head towards the Graysons. I was barely at a hidden distance, close enough to see anyone walking out of the mansion yet far enough to never get caught, when the snow started to fall.
My gaze fell on the small yet commanding figure that sat at a corner of the house and I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was my little Mate.
But she didn't look like she just walked out of the house. Her shoulders were sagged, her entire composure slack, like she'd been sitting there for minutes? Hours?
But as soon as the snow started, she sprang up on her feet by some miraculous energy booster and those eyes... Even at a distance, I could see them beaming happily.
The smile that graced her lips, overshadowing the shock and surprise that was initially there made me smile despite the stinging pang in my chest and ribs.
I watched her for another five to ten minutes before I began to feel restless... In a bad way.
The mindlink flickered for a long while before it became stable and Blake's voice came through.
"Where the fuck are you now, Alexander?!"
"Relax, mate, I'm at..."
I didn't get to complete that statement when I coughed out the first fistful of blood.
Fuck! An Alpha who can't even hold on to something as little as a mindlink is just the worst of all evil.
It became even harder to stand on my own two feet by the pass of each second but I still did anyway. It's bad enough that I came all the way here without informing Blake. Collapsing right here in the cold while Blake already put the Pack house in chaos was something I couldn't afford, so I looked up in her direction one more time because it could be the last time for all I knew.
But then our eyes met. Or maybe I was just being paranoid. Either way, I turned to leave without looking back again. After a few minutes of turning through corners, I was convinced that our eyes did meet, but she needed to see me again to be sure it was me she just saw and I wasn't giving her the luxury.
After what seemed like forever, I guess she must have realized what a waste it would be if she spent a whole golden snowfall chasing a non-existent person in the forest. But, whatever it was that changed her mind made her turn on her heels and walk away. Though, not without looking back for the slightest movement every now and then.
My condition got worse through the entire hide and seek and so far I'd coughed out the fourth fistful of blood.
It was hard, immensely painful, but I made it home and I saw Blake right in time to slip into an inevitable unconsciousness.