Ramon leapt to his feet but he didn’t come towards them. “My Lord. It’s such a relief to see you,” he said in a cautious tone, his coal-colored eyes lasered on Alek’s arms wrapped tightly around Bell’s legs and back. “Are you well?”
Bell lifted his head and gave him a single nod before returning his face to Alek’s throat as if he didn’t want anyone seeing him like this. Alek got moving towards the front door that Mac had open. Uninvited frigid bursts of air swept in, making Bell shiver. Alek wanted him warmer. And without words… Wrath made it happen.
“Where are you taking him?” Ramon asked when Alek walked past.
Alek didn’t respond. He didn’t answer to anyone on this side of the ocean except himself.
“Alpha Aleksei, I’ve shown you nothing but respect. Have I not earned it for myself?” Ramon snapped, when Alek walked down the rickety porch steps.
He turned and scowled at the bold vampire. Wrath inched forward, waiting for Alek’s signal. “What does respecting you have to do with telling you where I’m going with my mate?”
“I’m responsible for his safety and whereabouts,” Ramon argued. “In case you forgot, Belleron Liatos is my Lord.”
“Your Lord… my mate. And, as you can see, Belleron is not on duty. He needs me now. I’m sure he’ll come to you, Lord Protector, when he’s in need of the services you provide him.” Alek left Ramon standing there clenching the hell out of his jaw, and headed towards the path, following the sound of the water. In the dark, with only a minimal amount of moonlight filtering through the trees, Alek found the secluded cove Farica had told him about.
Alek dropped the bag to the ground near the edge and gently propped Bell against the base of a wide tree. He leaned a bit but was doing better with keeping himself upright. Alek removed his jeans and tossed them next to the bag. He saw his mate’s eyes open a fraction wider, his tongue sneaking out to lick his dry lips as if he was staring at a scrumptious snack. Alek smirked.
“Don’t you look at me like that, because I’m gonna do my best to be good while I clean you.” Alek walked away from Bell’s cute grin and dipped his foot into the dark water. He released a startled laugh, “Holy shit—that is cold.”
Bell carefully pulled the cover up higher on his chest, starting to quiver now that his personal heater was gone.
Get in the water. Wrath told him.
I had a feeling you were gonna say that. Alek sighed. But the moment he stepped into the pool of water, his body started to heat. Alek faced his mate and stood naked in the middle of the freezing nook. He figured this was the best way to show Bell who he was. Who they really were. Alek took a deep breath, closed his eyes then dropped his chin to his chest.
Wrath, he thought, centering himself and setting his mind free. He opened his mental link completely to allow the powerful demigod in. Alek felt the jolt, then the fire the moment Wrath connected to him. The energy flowing through him was the most heady, fascinating sensation there was. They were together, sharing the surface. Wrath lending him his powers.
Alek opened his eyes and stared down his arms. They were glowing. He heated to the point that it started to warm the water. He kept going, releasing Wrath’s gift through his body until the water steamed all around him. When Alek glanced over at Bell, he saw his mate sitting up straighter, not blinking. Lost in amazement.
Aleksei? Bell mouthed.
“It’s me,” Alek assured him, but he didn’t sound like himself. His voice was mixture of his own baritone and Wrath’s dark, hypnotizing bass. “Us.”
Bell fumbled clumsily along the ground trying to get closer. He cleared his throat several times then called out weakly, “Alek… are…?”
“Yes.” Alek stared at the burnt-orange coloring of his hands, not believing it himself.
“Or, W-wrath?” Bell sounded confused. And he looked to be using every ounce of strength to speak and understand what he was witnessing.
“We’re together.” Alek stared at his mate, flames licking up behind his eyes. “I am Wrath.”
“Gods,” Bell choked, cinching the cover around his trembling body.
“Are you afraid? Because I won’t hurt you,” Alek said, tilting his head. He was filtering out all the noise he could hear from miles away to focus on Bell’s weak voice.
Bell shook his head once. When Alek emerged from the water, his body stopped glowing. He felt taller, actually he believed he was. He flexed his arms, trying to get used to feeling that strong. He knelt on the cold ground and leaned in to scoop his arms under Bell. His mate never lost eye contact with him. His courageous act said he was the exact opposite of afraid. When Alek hefted him into his arms, he had to scramble to keep from flinging Bell a few feet in the air. He realized his mate felt weightless. It was like handling a newborn pup. Wrath’s strength was ten times his and Wolf’s. When they were combined… they were their own force.