Raven's P•O•V

"Raven?" A deep voice came from beside me. All I saw was darkness, my eyes still closed as I started to gain consciousness.

"I think she's coming out of it." A feminine voice murmured. I recognized it instantly as Irina's.

My eyes fluttered open and I heard a wave of gasps come over the room filled with people. The first person I saw was Alec looking down at me.

"Alec..." I croaked, my voice brittle, feeling like I hadn't talked in days. I wrapped my arms around him in a strong embrace. My whole body grew warm when our skin touched, my heart nearly beat out of my chest, though something felt different about it. I hadn't noticed how cold I was until I held onto him.

Last time I saw him ...

My breath caught in my throat as I let go of Alec. Everyone stayed quiet as my hand went to my chest.

No gauze was taped against my chest where I suspected there would be a wound.

The last thing I remember was being in Alec's arms.

I stabbed myself.

I thought I died...

"DeMalo-" I gasped, my eyes widening as I looked around the room for him. If I wasn't dead, then he wouldn't be either.

"Shh, it's over Raven." Alec reached out and rubbed my shoulders. Again, warmth traveled through me with a series of shocks. I furrowed my brow at him.

"But that's impossible, if I'm not dead then DeMalo is still alive." I detested, looking at Alec worriedly.

"You did die, Raven." Piper spoke, stepping up behind Alec. I furrowed my brow at her.

I looked over the room and saw Alec's family surrounding me. Piper, Irina, Vega, and Dimitri all stood around my bed. I wondered how long they had been there, waiting for me to wake up.

"Can you guys give us the room?" Alec asked them, noticing my confused expression.

Vega nodded and all of them left the room quietly. I watched the door shut behind them, then turned to look at Alec.

"What happened?" I murmured, not understanding how this was all happening.

Alec picked up my hand gently and held it as he stood.

"Why don't you come and see?" He smiled, helping me out of bed. Everything felt off, almost like it did after drinking from Alec. Not a single part of me hurt. My body felt light and graceful, which was something I was definitely not used to.

I held Alec's hand and l let him lead me into my closet. When he turned me to look into the mirror, I instantly knew.

In front of me stood a pale woman, her skin smooth and unflawed, her coffee-brown hair perfectly curled around her sharp features. Her bright ruby red eyes stared straight into mine as she watched me.

She was me.

I turned around to face Alec, tears welling up in my eyes. Alec's face fell as he saw them. He pulled me close and embraced me, resting his head on mine. I cried into his shirt, quietly soaking it right above his collar bone.

"Please don't be sad Raven..." Alec murmured sullenly. I pulled away and looked at him in confusion, then smiled at him.

"I'm not sad," I whispered, looking up to him with bright, gleaming eyes. "I'm crying because I'm happy." I said, one final tear streaming down my face.

Alec's expression brightened in amazement, as if he didn't expect that.

I felt this deep sensation fill me when I looked at him, when I touched him. I reached out to feel his bare arms and biceps. Warmth filled me when I touched him, trailing up through my fingertips, into my veins and rested in my chest. I huffed out a gasp and looked up from my hand to meet his amused eyes.

"Now you know how it feels." Alec said with a quiet tone, his voice wearing me thin. I studied his eyes and felt a small smile lace my lips.

His eyes flickered down to my lips, making the warmth that rested in me rise to a tempting heat. I trailed my gaze down to his and opened my mouth to say something, only to be cut off by him smashing his lips against mine.

I moaned against his lips, instantly wrapping my arms around his neck. Furrowing my brow at the intensity of how it felt, I intertwined my fingers in his pitch black hair.

I thought the feelings I felt for him were intense when I was human, but this ... this hit me like a whirlpool of sensations that I didn't know possible.

And he was just kissing me...

I parted from his lips briefly, feeling a deep need for him, one that grew the more my mind swirled.

"I thought I was dead." I murmured, my voice straining as I opened my eyes to look into his that were merely inches away. Tears dampened my cheeks.

"I thought I'd never see you again, never be in your arms again, never be with you again ..." I continued, feeling my chest ache at the thought. I killed myself, knowing the sacrifices I would be making. Not until now did I feel the strength of those sacrifices until they beat into my heart like a hammer.

Looking into Alec's eyes made it all hit me.

Alec wiped the tears from my cheeks and studied my expression with concern.

"You'll always have me, Raven, and I'll always be here. I promise you." Alec stared deeply into my eyes that now matched his. I could see myself in the reflection of his irises, along with every fleck of red pigment in his eyes.

Tears continued to stroll down my face, but this time in relief.

I enveloped myself in Alec's arms and kissed him like it was my last day with him. My tears splashed onto his cheeks as I pushed him against the wall across the room within a blink of an eye. Alec chuckled against my lips, surprised while also amused at my strength and speed. He responded to my quick actions by flipping us around so I was now against the wall and he entrapped me against it.

"We've got all the time in the world, Princess." Alec whispered against my ear, making me shiver as he pressed his lips against the skin behind my ear. I let out a stifled moan and let him devour the patch of ivory skin.

Alec laughed breathily, lips still pressed on the bare and sensitive skin. I huffed and laughed a little, knowing he was entertained by how much he made me squirm underneath his touch.

Notably aware of his influence on me, he let his hands linger down to my thighs, gripping them. His lips found their way back to mine as he picked me up and pressed himself closer to me. I gasped in the kiss as I could feel him stiffen; mere fabric separating us, but I knew that it wouldn't for much longer.

The thought made me smile in the rough kiss, kissing him deeply. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held myself up, pressing my chest against his in the process. He sighed contently and pulled me away from the wall.

He walked us over to his desk, not breaking the kiss for a second. His fingers lingered around my hips before he placed me gently on top of the desk. He shoved everything off the desk swiftly and I lied back.

Hovering over me, I started to tug at Alec's shirt. He barely parted from my lips as he stripped the shirt from his torso in a mere second. I giggled at his eagerness, causing him to smile against my lips.

I pulled back from Alec's lips in order to pull my own shirt off. I already didn't have a bra on, because if I remembered correctly, I cut through it when the knife went through my chest. I brushed the thought off, knowing that everything was alright now.

I was with Alec and that's all I needed to know.

I felt comfortable and secure when Alec trailed his fingers all over my upper body, feeling my waist, my navel, then trailing up to cup my breasts.

Alec teasingly pressed his hips deeper into my inner thighs. I gasped and bit his lip. I could taste the bitter sweet taste of his blood fill my mouth for only a second. Alec's tongue grazed my lips, asking for entrance, which I gladly granted.

The kiss could've lasted two second or two hours, and it still would've kept my utmost attention and want. I never wanted to leave this closeness we shared.

It felt safe. It felt warm and relaxed, while also heated and dangerous.

Now that I was a Vampire, I could feel the Soulmate bond burn through my body. I couldn't imagine or begin to think of a stronger feeling of bliss and euphoria.

Alec parted from my lips softly and met my eyes. He kept his body perfectly fit to mine as he gazed down at me.

I reached up and held Alec's face in my hands, running my right thumb over his cheek in a sweet caress. He raised his left hand, took my right hand against his cheek, and held it there as he kissed my palm. He kept his other hand firm against the desk as he held himself above me.

"I love you so much." I murmured, my voice cracking as I felt the purest sense of relief come from those words. Alec's eyes shined down as he heard me say that.

He lowered his face down to mine and kissed me softly, his lips as soft as velvet against my own. I kissed him back, cupping his face as I held him there for a good moment.

He barely parted and breathed in response,

"I love you so much, Raven."

♱ ♱

"Alec Dimitri Morgenstern, do you vow to take Raven Selene Carmichael as your Bride, your Wife, your Eternal Soulmate, now and for the rest of your immortal days?" Dimitri looked to his son, a small smile on his face as he asked Alec.

Alec turned from his father's gaze and looked into my eyes deeply, my hands held in his.

"I, Alec Dimitri Morgenstern, vow to take Raven Selene Carmichael as my Bride, my Wife, my Eternal Soulmate, now and for the rest of our immortal days." Alec proclaimed. A broad smile played on my face as I heard him say those words.

"Raven Selene Carmichael, do you vow to take Alec Dimitri Morgenstern as your Groom, your Husband, your Eternal Soulmate, now and for the rest of your immortal days?" Dimitri turned to me and said. He gave an approving smile and I smiled back at my soon-to-be father-in-law. I shifted my gaze to Alec and squeezed his hands lovingly.

"I, Raven Selene Carmichael, vow to take Alec Dimitri Morgenstern as my Groom, my Husband, my Eternal Soulmate, now and for the rest of our immortal days." I stated, my heart jumping as I said my vows.

Piper walked forward in her stunning gold dress that matched the white and gold theme of the wedding, and handed the rings to Alec and I.

"As tradition, these rings will represent the unbreakable bond between Alec and Raven that, from this night forward, can never be unbound." Dimitri professed as Alec and I exchanged the rings. I hadn't seen the ring Alec picked for me until now. It was a beautiful gold band laced with hundreds of little diamonds that grew as they came to the center of the ring and surrounded the enormous diamond.

The diamonds that were encrusted into the gold resembled that of my dress that was laced with gold detailing and crystals.

My eyes grew wide, causing Alec to chuckle a little under his breath. I looked up from my ring and met his elated expression with my own.

"Let it be known throughout Romania and throughout the whole Vampire race that I, Dimitri Constantin Morgenstern, now announce Alec Dimitri Morgenstern and Raven Selene Morgenstern husband and wife!" Dimitri called, his voice booming throughout the enormous hall filled with what was presumed to be every vampire accounted for.

Alec didn't even let Dimitri tell him to kiss the bride before he bent down and kissed me passionately. I smiled against the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Everyone stood and cheered around us, but it was all muffled, drowned out like nothing else mattered. I barely even noticed anyone but Alec as we parted from our kiss and just stared at each other.

Throughout the whole journey, from getting kidnapped, being targeted, and then being taken a few other times, I still couldn't think of a better ending.

I was with Alec, and he was with me,

And that's all we ever needed.

😭😭😭

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