125

125

Ian’s POV

I walked out of the chamber, going after Sophia, my chest rising and falling heavily while I made sure to keep my senses alert just in case Aldric wanted attack from behind. I wouldn’t put it past him. It was something he could do. In his moment of rage he could forget that Sophia was with me and she was not tm be harmed.

I sucked in my lower teeth, my heart pounding hard and loud in my ear. Truth be told, Sophia had been very reckless. Very reckless with the stunt she just pulled. Didn’t she understand that I was doing my best to keep her safe and so that the council wouldn’t see her as a threat? Why did she have to go and destroy my efforts with that stunt? Why didn’t she realize that it was exactly what they wanted, and she fell for the trap.

I ran my hands through my hair as I finally found her standing in the balcony of her room.

I opened my mouth to speak but she beat me to it. “If you’re here to scold me, just do it and get on with it please,” she murmured icily.

I narrowed my eyes at her, taking a step forward and standing beside her, my eyes sweeping over the realm. It was dark and silent. No one was moving about. It seemed like everyone else had retired to their various homes.

“You were reckless,” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the city down below. I wouldn’t tell her a very tiny part of me was proud of what she did and how she dealt with Aldric, put him in his place. But it was wrong. The fact remained that she was reckless and it could have had a different outcome if I hadn’t stepped in.

“That was the only way to get them to listen to me,” she replied with a casual shrug, like she couldn’t care less that I thought she was wrong.

“There were other ways for you to get them to listen to what you had to say. You didn’t have to attack Aldric like that” I insisted, shaking my head and finally looking at her. She had a blank look on her face.

“He deserved it. He was being a massive dickhead,” she answered flatly, turning away from me and walking back into her room. The untied her hair from the bun it had been and ithe red coils fell down her shoulders and cascaded down her waist.

I opened my mouth to talk but no words came out. I closed my mouth, and then opened it again, clearing my throat. “They could’ve attacked you.”

“And I’d have killed them,” she answered.

“You think you can take on ten ancient vampires?” I asked her with an eyebrow raised, folding my arms and watching her.

“I did take on Aldric,” she replied, turning around and giving me a tiny smile.

“And the others could have killed you while you were focusing on Aldric,” I stated.

“I do think they relished in what I did to Aldric. That’s why they didn’t fight for him,” she answered, her smile growing wide as she plopped down on the bed.

“I don’t know what you think is funny, Sophia. This isn’t funny. I don’t want it to get to that stage where I have to choose between you, and the people I govern. Please. Try to…hold your tongue when they’re speaking,” I pleaded.

Her nostrils flared and I could tell that I had said something to anger her. “And then what? You didn’t even defend Jenny or shut them up when they were speaking to her disrespectfully.”

“I couldn interfere, Soph,” I replied with a sigh, shaking my head. “They were trying to access her, Sophia. If I had interfered to tried to come to her defense, it’d make her look weak and then they’re going to find a perfect wah to pounce.”

“They can’t kill her,” She replied with a frown. “They’ll be going against you.”

“Actually, they can,” I replied, shaking my head. “They can if they’re certain it can’t be traced back to them. They can do the same to you, Sophia. I cannot loose you.”

She remained quiet for a while. “Why can’t they accept her the same way they accepted me? Why do they treat her like an outcast?” She asked quietly.

“Trust me, Sophia, they haven’t accepted you,” I murmured with a sigh, rubbing my face.

“Oh,” She replied in a tiny voice. “Ian are they going to make you find another woman who can reproduce for you? Continue your bloodline?”

Her question caught me Off guard. That wasn’t what I was expecting from her. Not at all.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured in the same tiny voice. “I’ve just been wondering…it’s been on my mind lately and I just had to ask.”

“I don’t want to talk about this, Sophia,” I murmured, shaking my head as I got up from the bed.

“But we have to, Ian. We have to talk about it. We can’t keep putting it off. We can’t continue sweeping it under the rug, Ian. I want to know where I stand with you in this relationship. Am I just your play thing to warm your bed until your perfect woman comes?”

“You’re letting their words get to you, Sophia. Honestly toh shouldn’t. You know I love you,” I replied softly, sitting back on the bed and taking her hand in mine.

“But it’s not enough. I’ll never be the girl you get to spend the rest of your life with, Ian. I can’t reproduce and –”

“We don’t know that yet,” I interrupted, shaking my head.

“What?” She breathed out.

“We don’t know that her. If you can reproduce or not,” I clarified. “And if you can’t, I’ll have to kill each and every woman who can before they even think of bringing one to me.”

“You’ll do that for me?” Her eyes were filled up with tears now.

“Anything for you, Sophia,” I promised her. “I love you. You and I, we complete each other.”