A few moments pass, and I realise we have been gazing at each other silently. I blink and shake my head—the mark on my wrist subtly heats up, spreading warm sparks.
I move as close as possible against the bars and hold my wrist towards Alec. 'You have done something to me. Please tell me what this mark is and why I feel different. You have to tell me,' I beg, my desperation lacing the words.
Alec delicately takes my arm, tracing his thumb over the mark, and leans against the bars. His gaze meets mine as he speaks, 'This isn’t just a mark, my love. This is my new destiny.' He punctuates his words with a kiss on the mark, sending a surge of desire through my body, reminiscent of the connection I share with Magnus. Confusion clouds my expression.
'I don’t understand,' I murmur, my mind grappling with the sensations I feel.
'Once I’m out of here, you will understand,' Alec reassures, his voice holding a promise.
I find myself unconsciously drawn closer, pressed against the bars again, as if compelled to be near Alec. Our faces are mere inches apart, and Alec's whisper permeates the charged air. 'You don’t seem to be afraid of me, Nina?' His eyes flicker between my lips and my gaze.
'Should I be?' I whisper back, feeling an inexplicable magnetic force pulling us even closer. The enchantment intensifies as I stare into Alec’s light brown eyes.
His hand cups my left cheek, and I feel a deep connection as he says, 'Yes, you should be.'
'Why?' I ask, dazed with lust.
Alec leans in, his lips almost brushing mine, until Magnus comes to mind. I jump back.
‘Because you want me,’ he says knowingly.
I shake my head, my thoughts racing. 'No, I’m with Magnus. I love Magnus. I don’t understand why I feel the same sensations around you that I feel with Magnus. Like we are destined mates?' I express my confusion to Alec.
Alec’s smile is smooth. 'That’s because you are destined to be mine. Just like the Moon Goddess, Selene chose you and Magnus to be together. She has also chosen us to be blood flames,' he confesses, his words echoing through the dimly lit chamber.
'Blood flames?' I ask, the confusion deepening.
Alec nods, his expression gentle. 'When a werewolf finds their soulmate, their destined life partner, they are known as mates. It works the same way with vampires, except mates are called Blood Flames,' he explains, attempting to shed light on the mystical concept.
'Are you saying that the Moon Goddess has made me a fated mate with Magnus and you?' I ask, my voice trembling.
'Yes,' Alec admits with a grimace. 'And just a note, I don’t like sharing,' he asserts, crossing his arms in dismay. 'But it looks as though I may not have a choice,' he adds, his tone hinting at the complexity of our situation.
‘You’re lying? How do you know this?’ I ask him in complete denial and refuse to believe any of this.
Alec locks eyes with mine. 'You saw it but didn't realize it at the time. A vampire's eyes turn red and flicker when they glimpse their blood flame. It’s like a blood-fueled fire in our eyes. It puts you into a brief trance, making you approach subconsciously. Our eyes stay that way until our vampiric mark is placed on our wrists. It signals to other vampires that you are blood-flamed, or, in other words, claimed. It’s also where the term blood flame originated because of our flaming, bloody eyes when we first see you,' he reveals.
I caress Magnus's mark on my neck, feeling the subtle tingling sensation that connects us. Alec's revelation echoes in my mind, and I run my fingers over the mark on my wrist, sensing the same tingly feeling as Magnus's mark.
'Yes, just like a wolf marks your neck to let other wolves know you are taken,' Alec states, drawing a parallel between the markings of werewolves and vampires.
Overwhelmed with emotions, tears glide down my cheeks as the weight of the truth settles in. I gasp, and, unable to contain the surge of emotions, I run towards the black door on the far side of the dungeon.
'Wait! Please, wait, my love. Come back!' Alec pleads, his voice filled with sorrow.
Part of me yearns to turn back and comfort him, but I resist. I open the door, lock it behind me, and double-check that the sigils remain in place, ensuring Alec remains confined.
Reaper awaits me as I open the door to him. He leaps onto my shoulder, and through the mind-link, he expresses his concern. 'You're crying?'
'I need to go to the enchanted garden,' I sob, hastily opening the middle door. I rush through the room with the golden hearth and through the round library tower until I reach the double doors that lead to the enchanted garden.
I find sanctuary under a grove of trees in the enchanted garden, my tears falling freely into my hands. Gnomes cautiously approach, freezing like statues whenever I glance up to wipe my tears. Despite their hesitation, a swarm of tiny hands eventually reaches out to comfort me, their gestures offering an unexpected source of comfort. The gnomes, frozen yet supportive, surround me in an unspoken display of empathy.
Reaper, sensing my distress, pleads for an explanation. 'Luna, you must tell me what has happened.'
With a heavy heart, I nod, realizing that I cannot bear the weight of this secret alone. I extend my wrist, revealing the mark to Reaper, who caws in shock and almost falls off my shoulder. 'You're a vampire's blood flame!'
'Not just any vampire's blood flame, Reaper, the vampire king, Alec’s blood flame,' I convey, almost choking on the words as my voice strains to say the words.
'The vampire king, Alec!' Reaper responds with recognition, his eyes narrowing slightly with a keen understanding. 'The first time you came here, I sensed something happened to you. Alec marked you, didn’t he?'
I nod, a heavy sigh escaping me as I wipe the tears from my face. My shoulders slump. 'I had no idea what Alec had done at the time. He grasped my wrist and left a mark, and I couldn't stop thinking about him, in the same way I can't stop thinking about Magnus.' I relay as I recall the magnetic pull of Alec's presence. 'I'm drawn to him, and I desire him. What am I supposed to do, Reaper? How will Magnus react when he learns I have another fated mate?' My eyes plead to Reaper for help.
'I wish I had the answer for you, Luna,' Reaper says sympathetically.