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her jacket and gloves as she hurried out the door before Aidan could change his mind.
Alexandria dragged in a lungful of cold, crisp air and turned her face up to the sky. Small snowflakes fluttered down, floating with lazy whirls, turning the sky white and muffling the sounds around them. She held out her hands and opened her mouth to let the flakes drop on her tongue. Life with Aidan was unbelievable. He treated Josh like his own son, and her like a queen. She had no idea why, since coming here, she felt sad and inadequate.
Even worse than that was her growing fear. It was silly and very unlike her, but sometimes she found herself looking into shadows, her heart lurching with dread. It had to be the nightmares, the revulsion she felt whenever she remembered the feel of the vampire's touch, the way his tongue felt rasping on her skin and the pain of his teeth as he tore at her neck. She pressed her hand to the spot burning in her throat. He was dead. Aidan had killed him and he would never be coming back. Not for Josh—and not for her. So why was her throat throbbing in the exact spot the vampire had torn open?
Alexandria shook her head to clear her mind. This was Christmas and they were going to have a beautiful one. She didn't get snow in San Francisco and Joshua was thrilled with being in the Carpathian Mountains. He'd met so many of the men online and couldn't wait to see them in person. She wasn't going to ruin it for everyone because of silly nightmares.
Determined, she pushed the too-vivid memories away and began to walk along the faint path leading to the prince's home. She knew the way, had seen it a hundred times in Aidan's head and had memorized every step. He had wanted her to feel comfortable in his homeland and he had shared every memory with her, giving her a virtual map so that she could move around with ease.
The wind touched her face with gentle fingers, flakes coating her hair. She should have drawn up her hood, but she felt free, excited to be walking in the night surrounded by the thick expanse of forest, breathing in fresh, crisp air, peace stealing into her at last.
Skyler was waiting impatiently on the porch. "I think it's ridiculous that Gabriel and Lucian don't want me walking around by myself," she said. "I managed to make it over here all by myself, before anyone noticed I was gone. No one makes Josef wait for an escort."
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and tossed the ends over her shoulders with a small dramatic sniff. "I am so not ever going to have someone telling me what to do all the time.
Gabriel and Lucian are the worst."
Alexandria frowned. "Josef contacted you and teased you about this, didn't he?"
"He called me a baby. I walked over here by myself and I certainly can walk back by myself." She dashed her hand across her eyes.
"Josef can be most annoying, can't he? I think you should make it a priority to ask him to show you how he turns into an owl."
Skyler regarded Alexandria with a suddenly thoughtful gaze. "Really? You think I'd enjoy that?"
Alexandria nodded. "I think it will make your day."
A slow smile lit up Skyler's face. "Thanks for the tip. Raven says hello. I think her turkey gravy wasn't coming out the way she wanted."
"Neither did my mashed potatoes. At the moment, the prince is wearing them."
Skyler halted abruptly and blinked up at Alexandria. "Wearing them? The potatoes? Did you throw them at him?" A slow smile transformed her face. "I wish I could have been there."
"I wish I hadn't been there. Josh ran to me frightened and I turned around, forgetting I had a high-speed mixer in my hand, a mixer Josh and Josef had revved up for me. The potatoes splattered all over Mikhail."
She met Skyler's gaze and they both burst into laughter. The sound drifted through the forest, rising upward to meet the floating snowflakes. Somewhere an owl hooted, the sound lonely. A wolf answered, the howl long and drawn out, as if he might be calling to a long-gone
Alexandria dragged in a lungful of cold, crisp air and turned her face up to the sky. Small snowflakes fluttered down, floating with lazy whirls, turning the sky white and muffling the sounds around them. She held out her hands and opened her mouth to let the flakes drop on her tongue. Life with Aidan was unbelievable. He treated Josh like his own son, and her like a queen. She had no idea why, since coming here, she felt sad and inadequate.
Even worse than that was her growing fear. It was silly and very unlike her, but sometimes she found herself looking into shadows, her heart lurching with dread. It had to be the nightmares, the revulsion she felt whenever she remembered the feel of the vampire's touch, the way his tongue felt rasping on her skin and the pain of his teeth as he tore at her neck. She pressed her hand to the spot burning in her throat. He was dead. Aidan had killed him and he would never be coming back. Not for Josh—and not for her. So why was her throat throbbing in the exact spot the vampire had torn open?
Alexandria shook her head to clear her mind. This was Christmas and they were going to have a beautiful one. She didn't get snow in San Francisco and Joshua was thrilled with being in the Carpathian Mountains. He'd met so many of the men online and couldn't wait to see them in person. She wasn't going to ruin it for everyone because of silly nightmares.
Determined, she pushed the too-vivid memories away and began to walk along the faint path leading to the prince's home. She knew the way, had seen it a hundred times in Aidan's head and had memorized every step. He had wanted her to feel comfortable in his homeland and he had shared every memory with her, giving her a virtual map so that she could move around with ease.
The wind touched her face with gentle fingers, flakes coating her hair. She should have drawn up her hood, but she felt free, excited to be walking in the night surrounded by the thick expanse of forest, breathing in fresh, crisp air, peace stealing into her at last.
Skyler was waiting impatiently on the porch. "I think it's ridiculous that Gabriel and Lucian don't want me walking around by myself," she said. "I managed to make it over here all by myself, before anyone noticed I was gone. No one makes Josef wait for an escort."
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and tossed the ends over her shoulders with a small dramatic sniff. "I am so not ever going to have someone telling me what to do all the time.
Gabriel and Lucian are the worst."
Alexandria frowned. "Josef contacted you and teased you about this, didn't he?"
"He called me a baby. I walked over here by myself and I certainly can walk back by myself." She dashed her hand across her eyes.
"Josef can be most annoying, can't he? I think you should make it a priority to ask him to show you how he turns into an owl."
Skyler regarded Alexandria with a suddenly thoughtful gaze. "Really? You think I'd enjoy that?"
Alexandria nodded. "I think it will make your day."
A slow smile lit up Skyler's face. "Thanks for the tip. Raven says hello. I think her turkey gravy wasn't coming out the way she wanted."
"Neither did my mashed potatoes. At the moment, the prince is wearing them."
Skyler halted abruptly and blinked up at Alexandria. "Wearing them? The potatoes? Did you throw them at him?" A slow smile transformed her face. "I wish I could have been there."
"I wish I hadn't been there. Josh ran to me frightened and I turned around, forgetting I had a high-speed mixer in my hand, a mixer Josh and Josef had revved up for me. The potatoes splattered all over Mikhail."
She met Skyler's gaze and they both burst into laughter. The sound drifted through the forest, rising upward to meet the floating snowflakes. Somewhere an owl hooted, the sound lonely. A wolf answered, the howl long and drawn out, as if he might be calling to a long-gone
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