Surprises Two

Sophia POV

Nina turned with the same grace that always surrounded her, her movements smooth like a silent dance. Her eyes landed on Alexandre, and to his surprise, her expression remained serene, unaltered, as if the words he had just spoken were no more than part of a trivial conversation.

Alex was not prepared for such tranquility. The lack of reaction completely disarmed him, and I could see insecurity take over his features. Even his wolf, which had been animated and even aggressive, retreated inside him, as if shrinking before Nina's calm. All the aggressiveness that had emanated from him dissolved into the air.

"Interesting." Khalid said with a low laugh.

Nina looked at him, and for a brief moment, I saw a subtle smile on her lips, but then she turned back to Alexandre again.

"My name is Alexandre." Alex introduced himself, almost stammering.

"I remember your presence in our laboratory." Nina replied, her voice maintaining a neutral tone.

Alex nodded, not daring to speak. Nina's presence was enormous compared to that of a werewolf like Alexandre; he still had much to learn, while Nina seemed to need nothing more.

It was impossible not to notice the tension in the air as Alex and Nina seemed to engage in an invisible battle, only with looks and small gestures. Finally, I saw the man sigh.

"You are my destined, my mate." Alex said, and I noticed that there was confusion, desire, and something I couldn't identify in his voice… Maybe it was fear.

"That word seems as interesting as any other." Nina replied, still maintaining a neutral tone, but there was a different touch, a slightly heavier weight, as if the woman was feeling the weight of her words. "This concept is singular, especially for those of your kind."

I looked at Khalid, raising my eyebrows, trying to understand if for vampires, destined ones would be different. My vampire just smiled a little more, but he didn't tell me anything.

"Does that mean it's different for you?" Alex asked, knowing he wanted to get closer to Nina, but he didn't.

"I've had several destined ones, mates." Nina replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "They are gone, and I am still here."

I saw Alex clench his hands and tighten his wrists along his body; his wolf was not happy to hear that Nina had been with others.

Alex's jaw tightened slightly, as if trying to contain his wolf's instinctive reaction. I saw his eyes darken for a brief second, the golden glow of the beast present, but he blinked hard, forcing himself to regain control. It was evident that this response hurt him more than he would like to admit.

Nina, however, remained serene. There was no provocation in her words, only facts said with the coldness typical of someone who had lived too long to allow themselves illusions.

"Were they not strong enough?" Alex asked, and his voice sounded rougher than intended. It was the wolf speaking now, wounded, possessive, wanting to know if he would be different.

"They were what they needed to be… For the time they existed." Nina replied, looking directly into Alex's eyes. "But none of them managed to keep up with me until now."

It was perceptible the struggle within Alexandre, between him and his wolf, as Nina's response was not what he had expected, but this was something he would have to deal with, for someone like Nina, Alexandre was a child.

Khalid moved and cleared his throat to draw attention to himself.

"Nina is older than me, she has been in this world longer than can be counted." Khalid said. "Love for her is a risk to be calculated… The experience you have thought of having, Nina has had several times."

Khalid was explaining his subject's thoughts, and Alex looked away from Nina and at me, as if finally, things were making sense.

"Nina, Alexandre is my Gamma." I said.

For the first time, Nina's aura changed, surprising as she turned in my direction.

"Yes, I chose him to be my Guardian." I confirmed.

"I won't force you to do anything, miss." Alexandre said.

I wanted to laugh but didn't, as it was funny to know that Alex would never be able to stand up to Nina. I saw my Gamma turn red, embarrassed by the words he had spoken.

"What I mean is…" Alex approached Nina, standing in front of her but not touching her. "I have a lot to learn and am not afraid to admit my mistakes… I want you to know me, to teach me your likes, to explain how I can be better."

Nina turned her attention to Alex, but no sound came out of her mouth, and I understood that the answer was this… Alex would have to learn the weight of silence, to interpret the small clues.

The tension in the room increased as this silence extended… Nina looked Alex up and down, analyzing every inch of him, and it was almost as if she could read Alex's soul, but that might have been the truth.

It was impossible to know the full extent of someone like Nina's powers; she would never let herself be carried away by emotions.

"We won't have a solution now…" I said, my voice echoing through the room and catching the attention of both. "How about we focus on the work to be done."

Nina made a bow, curtsying with lightness and grace.

"My apologies, my Lady." Nina said, her voice now in a slightly more delicate tone.

"Don't worry, but I want to know about this ritual, what it involves, and the risks." I asked, looking fixedly at Nina.

Alex moved out of my field of vision.

Nina slowly raised her face, returning to her imposing posture, but I noticed that her eyes were softer and gentler, as if the topic of destined ones had been set aside, at least for now.

"Usually, the change in appearance is not complicated; it's very simple to do in humans, but in your case, it's complicated because you are not a human." Nina explained, and her tone of voice changed to something more serious, more grave, showing how complicated this would be. "You are something much more complex."

She completed, her eyes now fixed on me with an intensity that made me swallow hard.

"You are in a human body, but you are not one… You are a Chimera and still carry a curse older than the new world." Nina commented. "I need to be careful not to get close to the seal of the curse."

"I don't want a new appearance." I said, and this time I got off Achilles's lap, standing up, and my hair fell to the middle of my back. "I want the appearance of Sophia Turner, not Naomi Blanchet."