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Chapter 27
ISABELLA
When I overhead Alexei talking to Ana, it sealed the deal for me. He didn’t have to do that, but still, he tried to set her at ease.
“So?” Ana asks. “How do you feel?”
“About Alexei?” I ask as I take a seat next to her on the bed.
“Yes. He looks like he really meant what he said.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, still trying to come to terms with the fact that he really loves me.
“He said he’s going to marry you.” Ana’s gaze searches mine.
“I agreed to an alliance with him. The only way out is death.” Ana frowns, obviously not liking the sound of that, and it has me saying, “Besides the alliance, I do love him, or at least the part of him I got to know.” I let out a sigh. “It’s weird. It’s as if the Alexei I’ve heard horror stories of in my past and this Alexei are two different men. I have to get used to both sides of him.”
Ana thinks for a moment, then she says, “He seems nice.”
I let out a chuckle. “Nice is not the word I’d use to describe Alexei.”
“Well, he was nice to me.”
I raise an eyebrow at Ana. “Are you boasting right now?”
She shrugs, and then there’s a knock at the door. “You sure about letting him eat with us?” I ask as I slip off the bed.
“Are you going to marry him?” Ana asks.
I stare at her for a moment. “Yes.”
“Then I have to get used to him as well.”
“Thank you. I know it’s not easy,” I say as I walk to the door. Opening it, Alexei walks in with one plate of food, and then Ariana appears in the doorway with two more plates.
She gives me an apologetic smile. “Hey, I come bearing a peace offering.”
I return her smile, knowing people don’t have a choice but to go along with things once Alexei’s decided to do something. “It’s okay.”
I watch as Ariana steps into the room, and then she smiles at Ana, who’s standing near the bed. “Hi, Ana. I’m Ariana, Demitri’s better half.”
Alexei lets out a chuckle.
“Hi.” Ana returns the greeting, her features tense.
Alexei holds the plate of food out to her, and she takes it while keeping her eye on Ariana instead of Alexei.
Ariana hands the other plates to Alexei. “Let me go feed my man. Enjoy dinner.”
Once she’s out of the room, I shut the door, and when I turn around, Alexei’s taking a seat on the floor, leaning back against the bed.
“Wow, now this is a sight to behold,” I tease him as I sit down beside him.
He hands me a plate. “Just want to keep things casual.”
Ana sits to my right, and crossing her legs, she looks down at the roast chicken and vegetables, silently saying a prayer of thanks.
Only when she looks up again does Alexei pick up his fork.
We eat in silence for a while before Alexei asks, “How old are you, little Ana?”
“Nineteen.”
He nods as he shoves the broccoli on his plate aside before spearing a carrot.
Bringing my food closer to his, I scoop the broccoli onto my plate and give him the rest of my carrots, and then I lean back again and continue to eat.
Ana lets out a chuckle, and my eyes snap to her, but she’s staring at Alexei. When I turn my gaze to him, he’s staring at me.
“What?” I ask.
“That was such a couply thing to do.”
“So?”
“Oh, you’re admitting we’re a couple?” he asks, a playful grin forming on his face.
“We’re engaged,” I state the obvious.
Alexei nods, his grin growing. “Good to know you’re aware of that fact.”
I hold up my left hand. “Never took off the ring. Oh, and by the way, your wedding band better have a tracker in it.”
“I already have a tracker,” Alexei says, using the back of his fork to point at the tag hanging from a chain around his neck. Then he gives Ana a pointed look. “I’ll ask Demitri to have one made for our Ana.”
Our Ana.
Warmth spreads through my heart that Alexei is making such a huge effort with her.
“Do you track everyone?” I ask.
“Only those I call family.”
My food is forgotten on my lap as I stare at Alexei. “You already consider me family?”
He meets my eyes. “From the moment I put that ring on your finger.”
A feeling I’ve never felt before creeps into my heart. Having someone stronger than me care enough to call me family makes me feel protected in a way I’ve never been.
I’ve always had to be the strong one, watching my back, skirting around the depraved. I always had to fight for myself.
But now that I have Alexei, it feels like I can take a moment to be a woman and not just a fighter.
Nodding, I swallow hard and then focus on the food.
Alexei nudges his shoulder against mine. “Did I say something wrong?”
I shake my head. “Just nice to know there’s someone stronger than me I can lean on.”
Alexei leans over and presses a kiss to my temple.
Yeah, so much for being the Princess of Terror. Give me a man to love, and I’m the same as any other woman.
Then again, I’d kill for mine.
