Alex turned to her broken ankle and a serious expression took hold on his face. "Look, you need to drink some of my blood."

A wave of revulsion hit Julia knocking her sideway turning her pale. "No way am I doing that! It's repellent not to mention I don't want to become your zombie-slave."

Alex laughed so hard she thought he might start rolling on the ground. When he stopped, he crouched next to her. "You really are an idiot. A few drops of my blood won't turn you into my slave."

Feeling affronted by him calling her an idiot yet again, she narrowed her eyes at him. Julia didn't think her reaction warranted name calling. Her mother had always been laid back when it came to Julia learning and experimenting with magic and other supernatural things. But the one thing Rosalie Malphas had ground into Julia over the years was: under no circumstances was Julia ever to drink dark faerie blood. Her mom had been adamant that if Julia were to drink even a drop of dark faerie blood, it would have dire consequences.

"I am not an idiot!" Julia snapped back. "Everyone knows you dark fae create slaves by giving humans your blood."

Alex fell back on his butt, howling with laughter. It made him look like such a normal care free teenager. In that unguarded moment Julia's heart swelled, and she burned to touch him.

He shook his head. "Stop it, really you're killing me. What are they teaching you guys at that school?"

She scowled at him, slapping those wayward thoughts for him out of her mind. "We really haven't gone over dark faeries in any great detail; just things on your history and politics. Dark fae have never been allowed in Havenswood before. So no one's ever felt the need to go into any of it."

Alex took her hand and squeezed it as he reached down and gently touched her ankle just above the break. Julia let out a cry and bit her lip.

"I have to reset the bone and that will hurt like hell. If I give you some of my blood, it will help with the pain and your injury will heal faster."

Julia tried to back away but Alex grabbed her shoulders. "No," she shouted, adamant she wouldn't be drinking any of his blood. "I don't want any side effects. I know your blood is parasitic."

Alex sighed and let go of her. "Look it's true that dark fae can create ghouls by giving humans their blood. But you're supernatural and have a natural immunity to the parasitic properties in our blood." He let out a short laugh. "I would've thought you at least knew that our blood can heal other supernaturals when they're injured. Besides my blood wouldn't turn you into a zombie-slave even if I give you every last drop of it."

"But my mom told me dark fae blood would affect me because I'm magicless," Julia couldn't hide the wonder in her voice.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. "Look, by exchanging such a small amount of blood." He paused then enunciated each word, "with a human." The corners of Julia's lips turned down unimpressed. "Dark fae can only create temporary slaves, not the ghouls you're referring to." He hooked his finger under her chin lifted it up and gazed into her eyes. "Depending on if you're a pureblood or a half-blood factors in on how long the effects of our blood will last and the level of control we have over them. A half-blood will only have limited control over their victims."

A ghost of a smile played on his lips. "Also before, you ask. I would have to drain a human of their blood completely and then give them some of mine to create a ghoul. Those poor creatures are little more than mindless zombies and are the ones you're thinking about."

Julia was in awed by this lesson in dark faeries and wanted to know more. Whenever she asked her mom in the past, Rosalie would always clam up and tell her there was no reason to learn about them.

Without thinking she asked, "Have you ever made any of those zombie slaves?"

Alex stiffened a cold mask came down hiding any expression. "Are you going to drink my blood or not?"

"No." Julia shook her head disappointed in his sharp mood change. "Besides Ren told me you dark fae don't like letting others drink your blood. Something to do with blood sharing, so why would you want to share your blood with me?"

Alex leaned into Julia, she felt trapped and uncomfortable, a slow, wicked grin spread across his lips. "Leave it to that useless elf to tell you about that." He gave her a dark smouldering look. "How much do you know about blood sharing?"

Julia blushed at his closeness and then tried to shove him away. "Gods, you're an ass."

Alex chuckled backing away. "I take it that would be nothing then."

She folded her arms across her chest and refused to look at him. "So what? I don't see what the big deal is or why you dark fae have to be so secretive about your feeding practises."

Julia felt the pull of his stare and involuntarily looked at him. "Our blood has magical properties." His fangs shot out, and he nipped his finger. A tiny drop of blood lengthened into a sharp spike. "Our blood will never go off and if I were to put some of my blood in a flask today, it would still be good in a thousand years' time. Not as fresh but still drinkable."

It mesmerised her, without thinking Julia stretched out her hand to touch it. At the last second she thought better of it. Dropping her hand she peered up at him.

Alex grinned at her, and then the blood spike softened back into a drop of blood. He put his finger to his mouth and licked it clean. "It's these properties that allow us to make weapons, heal ourselves and others. It's also why we have incredible strength, speed and other things. The price for this power is our need for blood to sustain us. Be it human, supernatural or animal.

"The other special feature to our blood is we can feel the emotions of the person we drink from. That is to say, if they are another dark fae. That's what blood sharing is. It is a very personal, extremely intimate and private. It is not something you do with just anyone and it is not something we take lightly."

"What if you're not a dark faerie? Is it the same?"

"Nope. We can feel your immediate emotions but a non-dark faerie can't feel ours. It is the only reason we allow you to drink our blood to heal yourself. Now enough with the lessons; are you going to let me help you or are you going to be an idiot?"

Julia expression soured as she resisted the urge to slap him. "I am not an idiot. And I told you I will not drink your blood and I won't change my mind."

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," Alex replied curtly. He sat Julia up. "Wrap your arms around me. If you need to scream, claw, or bite just do it you won't hurt me." Then he wrapped one of his arms around Julia and let her rest her face against his chest. After, he reached back with his other hand and rested it on her ankle.

Even though Alex annoyed the hell out of her and really rubbed her the wrong way, his heavenly scent intoxicated her. It was such a sweet smell like flowers and fresh fruit it caused a feeling of euphoria to wash over her. It was like opening presents on Christmas and chasing rainbows on a hot summer day while eating your favourite ice cream all wrapped up into one.

It all disappeared in a blinding white hot torrent of pain that engulfed her as Alex snapped her bone back into place. Julia scrammed out and sobbed as she bit down hard on his chest. Just before everything went black she heard the familiar voice of that girl screaming and pleading. "You can't do this. Please take me instead just spare him. I am begging you, I will do anything you want just don't hurt him."

The words faded, everything sped up and merged into a blur. When it slowed down Julia found herself looking over her shoulder, back at the long corridor her long determined strides had just carried her down, to make sure no one was following her. The flames on each thick wall mounted candle flickered in the air she had just stirred up. Julia could feel her consciousness ebbing away and she didn't have the energy to fight it.

A soft, lamenting laugh escaped Beatrix's lips, betraying her usual composure. Whenever she dwelled on the divine providence, the gods had bestowed upon her, a scream would claw its way up from her belly. What they demanded of her was cruel.

Her jaws clenched until her teeth cracked; Beatrix caged the emotions rampaging within. The witching hour, and with it her joining ceremony, approached. And her nerves frayed with every heartbeat until all that kept her poised was focusing on what must be done.

The destiny assigned to her had not been one she had envisioned for herself, for the gravity of the matter might have even crushed the unyielding god Atlas. Nevertheless, shewas determined to face it.

From birth, they had taught Beatrix how to act, to place one's duty above everything else. None of that mattered now. She would bend to the gods' collective will for one reason, and one reason alone: Him. Not even death could extinguish the love she felt for him; its intensity defied all logic. Because of this, she would walk through the gates of Hell.

Her eyes closed, and she listened to the clack-clack-clack the heels of her satin shoes made against the flagstones. The steady beat resembled a hammer pounding a nail into a coffin. They were coming for her. But before that happened, she had to see him. Needed to make sure he would never forget how much he meant to her.

Her lips turned down as she pressed on. The black oak along the hallway felt oppressive, and it did not help her mood. She had hoped she'd be given more time, but that wasn't to be. And now it seemed her dream of a beautiful wedding to the man she loved would slip away even as she hurried to him.

Beatrix fled the grim passages that curved like the blade of a scythe, flitted by the deep alcoves carved into the walls. Shadows clung to the rafters like a great void, filling the corridor with menace, and her hands began to tremble. She knew the threat the darkness might be hiding. Her quivering fingers knotted in the folds of her silken skirts as her footsteps hastened, and some of her long, tawny hair shook free of the roses pinning it in place. The champagne fabric shimmered in the candlelight as she glided down the corridor, searching for him.

Alex was poised at the end of the next great hallway she turned down, a lone silhouette with silver eyes that cut through the gloom. When he looked at her, a smile as radiant as the midday summer's sun lit up his face. Beatrix 's breath caught in anticipation and her heart raced as if made up of a thousand butterflies. She ran to him, throwing aside decades of etiquette lessons, desperate to cherish every moment she might have left with him.

Beatrix slammed into him and the air rushed out of her lungs. His strong arms folded around her, and her fear began to melt as his sweet laugh filled her ears.

"Why are you trembling my love?" he asked, hooking his finger under her chin. "Don't tell me you had Damien drag me up here because you plan on leaving me at the altar," he jested.

Guilt twisted in her gut and tears threatened as his innocent joke crushed her. She had never kept any secrets from Alex until now. And having to keep him in the dark about what would happen to her was consuming her. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, took a deep breath, clearing her mind of what awaited her. Her soft lips planted bittersweet kisses all over his face as she stood on her tiptoes. He smiled, pulling away, and his hands cupped her face.

Instead of returning his smile as she gazed up at him, Beatrix's eyes burned with molten intensity. She hoped he could see how much he meant to her. "There will never be anyone else I shall love as much as I love you." She poured her heart into the words. "Always remember, our souls are already entwined. No matter what, I shall love you forever."

Confusion coloured Alex's silver-grey irises for a moment before a million other emotions washed it away. His hand slid down to her waist, and when he brought his lips to hers, he pulled her tighter against him. His kiss drew her breath, made her weak. "Both my heart and soul have always belonged to you, and they always will, my love," he murmured against her lips.

His words resonated within her, breaking her heart. But, before she could open her mouth to whisper another word, the air stirred about them, and their tender moment was shattered when hooded men appeared around them. Cold fingers bit into her skin, and she cried out as they wrenched her away from him.

"No!" Beatrix pleaded. "I need more time!" She had so much more she needed to tell him, so much she needed to explain. Most of all, she wanted to make sure he would not do something foolish. She could not let him die with her.

Alex caught her hand when the hooded men tried to force them away from one another, and she wept as she clutched it with all of her strength. The temptation to buy a few more precious minutes with him grew. To command her powers, all Beatrix had to do was let go ̶ but because this would be the last time they would ever lay eyes on one another, her fingers refused to release him. And a part of her knew it was foolish to resist them. She had already accepted what was to come.

In that moment, as their fingers slowly slipped apart, there was nothing more precious to her than spending a few more seconds with him, looking upon the haunting beauty of his bright eyes. With one last hard yank, they were pulled apart; it felt like her very soul was ripping at the seams and drifting away.

"Alex!" she screamed. He was her beginning, her middle, her end, and the only thing that mattered; her soul would never let him go.

"Beatrix!" Alex yelled, his heart-wrenching agony wrapping around her name as the hooded figures dragged her away.