Another week has passed since Lylas dumped her back to London. After sharing that heartfelt kiss on top of the Empire State Building, under the moonlight and stars, Lylas had not been too happy about it.

Alana still recalled how angry he had been when she questioned his love for his wife, Naala. Deep down she knew he regretted giving in to her kiss.

What to do? Alana had no regrets. However, she had only felt slight guilt for betraying her friend's promise to fall for him .

And yet despite the guilt, Alana had not wanted him to go away that easily. And so, even knowing how angry he was, she had shamelessly clung unto to him, refusing to let him go.

She had been scared of him disappearing for good and so she had quickly apologised for her actions. However, before she could complete her apology, he knocked her out with a spell.

The next day after waking up, he was gone. Alana was furious when she realised he was playing with her heart. Showing up and then withdrawing. She always took three steps forward in his direction when he just stood there unresponsive.

That night, she had thought she made progress as he had finally took a step in her direction. However, on whim he changed his mind and took ten steps backward.

Didn't he know how much it affected her heart? How much hope he was giving only to then crush it, leaving her in despair.

After a few days of venting in anger, she stopped when she realised he wasn't going to show up again. That was when fear began to settle. The fear of never ever seeing him again. And so for the rest of that week, Alana lived with this anxiety that slowly chirped her wounded heart.

Then, when she was starting to get accustomed to his absence again, he showed up once more on a Friday evening, outside her work building, precisely at where her fiat 500 was parked. The instant Alana saw him, hands folded across his chest, his looming unaffected form—adorned in black jeans and a white linen shirt—leaning against her small car, Alana felt fury brimming.

On impulse she ran toward him and her fist collided with his chest. He stumbled in shock, glaring momentarily and Alana had never hated that glare so much as she did that moment. And so she slapped him. The slap affected her hand more than it affected him.

How dare he glare, how dare he leave without a word? How dare he affect her so much?

"Stop." Lylas grabbed her wrist and Alana struggled against his strength.

"I know you're angry, I know." He said.

"Oh you do?" Her tone was clipped.

"Calm down for a minute."

"No!" She knew she was acting childish, but she had reached her limit.

Lylas pulled her toward him and Alana stumbled out of balance before falling unto his chest. As she looked up, she was ready to wrench free and lash at him, when he suddenly closed the space between them.

His soft lips meeting hers finally stopped her movements. Alana was shocked into a stupor at what was happening, before the tingling sensation returned tenth-fold. The minute his tongue licked her lips, she crumbled. Her knees buckled as her heart began racing a million miles per minute. The dizziness feeling surged through her before she could finally respond. She parted her mouth and welcomed his tongue.

Lylas grabbed her face, crashing her body against her car as he deepened the kiss. Alana's hands latched on to the soft material of his linen shirt, clinging for dear life as if to ground this feeling inside her. The whole kiss felt surreal, like a fantasy that only existed in her dreams.

As she panted, he stared deeply into her eyes. Alana saw the heated glint of his hazel eyes, the golden colour intensifying.

"I must be really crazy or you've really cast a spell on me." He commented as he slowly brought her down to the ground, releasing her completely.

Alana steadied her breaths, her foggy brain clearing as it was sobered by his acccusation. Even though the tingling sensation was still vibrating through her. Her lips were singing and her stomach was attacked by thousand butterflies fluttering their wings there.

"I'm still angry." She announced, trying to hide her attraction for him.

"I know." He replied.

"You know the phrase hot and cold? That's what you are, Lylas." Her tone was steady but filled with icy undertones pertaining of having reached her last last nerve.

"You either lead me on, giving me false hope and then after you crush that hope away by disappearing and pushing me away." She accused.

He closed his eyes, nodding. "It's my fault. But understand, Alana please, understand I can't give you what you want. I can't ever return your love."

Alana was still angry when she said, "I'll understand when you don't ever do that to me again.".

"I won't."

"I'm serious, you're not allowed to knock me out because you feel like it."

"I promise, I won't." Lylas surprised her by grabbing her hand and placing it on his chest, where his red crystal vial neckless hung low. She watched as the crystalline brightened with silver and red sparkles before she felt it electrifying her hand.

She quickly pulled back her hand on reflex, her other hand rubbing the burning sensation left there. Then out of nowhere, her ears rapt with attention as she heard the faint cries of what sounded like a newborn baby.

The cries were heartbreaking, they left a prickling sensation in her heart. Alana couldn't describe the feeling, however, it felt as if someone had pierced her organ with a needle. She stared at his neckless in wonderment. Lylas noticed her gaze and covered the vial with his hand.

"Why do you always wear this neckless?" She asked.

Lylas regarded her deeply as if questioning himself whether he could trust her with information he was about to relay to her. Then subconsciously he shrugged.

"To your eyes it may look like a normal vial, but this is a silver red crystal sphere, inside it contains the perfect conditions to keep the remaining half of my son's primordial soul." He told her.

"Y-your son's primordial soul?" Alana's eyes bulged. No wonder since day one she had always felt there was something odd about his neckless.

"I keep him with me close to my heart." His voice was low, however Alana could feel the whole fifteen thousand years of deep loss in his tone.

Her breath hitched as her heart slowly broke imagining what he went through. It was over for her, she now realised the extent of how much she had fallen for him. Today he gave her a glimpse into a part of him, the fact that he let her in further enhanced this feeling.

Alana was ready to do it for him. She was ready to give him this one gift. At that moment, her only thought was she loved everything and anything about Lylas. And so what Lylas loved, naturally she would love too.

"Tell me Lylas, tell me the process of saving him." She inquired curiously.

She wanted to know in advance what would happen to her, so that she would be prepared. Lylas moved to lean against the car besides her. He brought on his scent which invaded the space around her, Alana breathed in deeply, closing her eyes at the same time, preparing to hear the worse.

"It's best you don't know." He sighed.

"I want to know."Alana glared at him challengingly. Only she knew what was best for her.

The ghost of smile returned in his eyes, he was amused by her feisty tone. Alana's fuelled anger was diffused instantly as she basked in his brightened features, momentarily, before his expression became sombre as he sighed again.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked her.

Alana nodded.

"Okay, I'll tell you." He finally acceded.

Alana prepared herself.

"My son was thought to be still born upon his birth, it wasn't until later that Derak enlightened me that half of his primordial soul was still alive inside him. To save him, he instructed me on the many things I must do." He began.

Lylas then explained that the first thing Derak had instructed him on, was to create a temporary immortal womb in the form of a silver-red crystal sphere. Then he had to extract his son's primordial soul from his fairie body.

Since only half of his primordial soul was alive, for his son to completely breath life again, he would need his soul to be powered by a brand new soul to complete him. So essential taking another soul's life form. Thus, the second thing Derak instructed Lylas on, was to find a virgin mortal with an immortal womb that could enable them to house an immortal soul.

Lylas needed to impregnate this mortal and upon conception he needed to place the silver-red crystal sphere around her stomach until his son's soul entered her immortal womb.

The mortal would then conceive twins. One twin would be his son, while the other would be the soul needed to be sacrificed for Lyla's son to complete his transition to human form again.

"It's an unorthodox way and very risky. Since it requires a sacrifice, there's so many things that can go wrong. Even still, it was a hope that kept me going for these past fifteen millennia." Lylas finished.

Alana didn't know what to feel at that moment. She suddenly felt terrified as she realised she wasn't just sacrificing herself. The child she would conceive with Lylas would also have to be sacrificed. He would be nothing but a vessel needed for Lylas and Naala's son to become whole again.

Alana became conflicted and Lylas studied her reaction.

"I told you it was best not to know." He said.

Alana shook her head. "No, I wanted to know...it's just...I'm still processing."

"You don't have to go through with it Alana." He told her, reminding her.

"But I'm your only hope," she reminded him as well. "You've waited for so long for this."

Lylas also felt conflicted. His expression depicted a slight pain. Alana felt touched at his hesitation, it meant that he cared about her life. A mere mortal that she was to him. She felt suddenly grateful that he thought she was worthy of her life. But what to do, this feeling further enhanced her want—scratch that, need—to help him achieve his goal.

Alana made up her mind there and then. No more hesitations, she was ready to do it. If all she ever mounted to was this moment right here. To give birth to his child. The child he lost along with his wife. Then Alana was willing to accept that fate.

What he loved, naturally she would also love. What caused him pain, naturally would also cause her pain. To her, this was the meaning of love.

Alana knew without this "immortal womb" she would never dream of ever being with a person like Lylas. She would never have this chance at all.

Even though the child she will give birth to will kill her, will kill the other child she had with him. She knew all of this. That her life was at stake and yet... she still wanted to go through with it.

Lylas I will do anything for you. Even if you love another and all I ever amounted to was means of a surrogate that will die in the end...then so be it...if it brings your happiness in the end, then I willingly accept this role.

"I'm ready to go through with it." She told him suddenly. "Use me as you like."

Lylas hitched a breath as he stared deeply unto her.

Although she knew she was just an intruder in his and Naala's love story, Alana was confident in one thing only. She loved Lylas more than Naala ever did. That fairie princess had been weak, Alana couldn't imagine letting herself be easily manipulated into ending her life. She was so sure that no matter what pain, nor what anyone said and did to convince her otherwise. She will never stop loving Lylas.

She also knew that whatever will happen from this moment on forth, for him, it wouldn't be love. He would never love her. Alana knew there wasn't any room in his heart for her. And yet...she still wholeheartedly loved him. She felt she had enough love for them both.

His deceased wife—although an immortal fairie—had quickly given up to weakness in the end. She couldn't imagine how weak the woman had been to have been easily persuaded to leave the man she loved and end her life. That woman sounded like she trusted easily.

Although she didn't know their love story, Alana was one hundred and ten percent confident she was better at loving Lylas than Naala ever did.

"I know you're hesitating because you don't want to betray the woman in your heart. But that woman, you have to let her go." She told him.

He shook his head promptly. "I will never let her go."

"She didn't love you enough to keep her life...I am standing right here, Lylas, willing and ready to sacrifice my own life for your happiness. If Naala gave up that quickly at the first sign of difficulty, then she truly didn't love you at all."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Alana was desperate. She knew she was shameless and knew what she was doing truly meant she didn't respect herself enough to consider herself deserving of more than what Lylas will give her. But, she really and utterly loved Lylas Fury. Flaws and all. Even when he didn't love her back.

"I do." She inched closer toward him. "I don't care about my life...can't you see that?" The tears streamed down her eyes. "I'd die to give you anything you want."

It was ironic considering she had just accused his wife for giving up her life so easily when she was wanting to do just that. The only difference was that Alana wanted to give up her life for him, in Naala's case, she chose to give up her life out of her own free will.

"You deserve much better...I refuse to—"

Alana kissed him instantly, shutting him up. The desperate kiss had its effect of seducing him instantly. The minute she flickered her tongue against his lower lip, he trembled with feeling. He couldn't resist any longer and her temptation was pivotal. It vibrated through him to take her right there and then and make her his.

Alana slowly released herself, pressing her forehead unto his.

"If you feel even the slightest of pity for me, don't. This moment here is more than I could ever have imagined, more than I could have ever wanted...and I want you, Lylas, I want to give birth to your child...I want to take away all your suffering. Please let me do that at least." she lay down her heart for him once more.

And at that moment, for the first time, Lylas saw her as she was. Not just a mortal with an immortal womb, whom will die giving birth to his child. Lylas, at that moment, saw how beautiful her heart and soul was, her love so pure and touching.

He saw her as the woman whom he will come to love and cherish, as the mother of his child. This vision intoxicated him, filled him to the brim. It forged a special place in the corner of his heart, just for her. At that moment he truly forgot his troubles, he forgot all his pain. She somehow took away the pain.

As their kiss deepened, he swiftly took her in his arms, their lips still locked and their hearts throbbing. As he turned them around, in a blink of an eye, he had swiftly transported them to one of his island in the mortal realm.

***

This moment is pivotal, not just for Alana, but I think for Lylas as well. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I have to say this turning point in this book is one of my favourites.

I truly enjoyed writing and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it ☺️☺️☺️