Marrakesh, Morocco
“WHEN YOU SAID ‘LET’S go somewhere none of us have ever been before’,” Rafe told Alex as he stretched out on the lounger, “I had no idea it would be so damn hard to find that place.”
The courtyard where they were lounging next to the blue lagoon-like pool was the private courtyard of the house they had rented for a month, just to get away from everything. Alex had not said it aloud to the others, however, he was even mildly pleased to get away from Veris and Brody, who could be pedantic and insistent at times. It was a product of their great ages. It was good to be able to breathe and think, with his two favorite people in the world the only ones able to interrupt his thoughts.
The walls of the courtyard were white, with graceful stone arches leading into the interior of the house. Green potted plants dotted the colorful mosaics that surrounded the pool.
Sydney was lounging in the pool itself, her head resting on the tiles. “I thought that Alexander at least might have been to Morocco.”
“You’re typecasting,” Alex said lazily. “Just because I come from a land of deserts doesn’t mean I’ve visited all such lands.”
“I think she meant because you lived in Spain, idiot,” Rafe said, opening one eye. “It’s right across the straits from here. Although, I lived there, too, long before he got there.”
“Now who’s being prejudiced?” Sydney said. “Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you’re any wiser or better.”
“As Cyrus proved,” Rafe returned.
The mention of his name sobered them all. The light and relaxed atmosphere dampened for a moment.
Alex sighed. “Perhaps we should talk about him. We’ve been very good at not talking about what happened.”
“I don’t want to,” Sydney said shortly. “He fucked with the past, nearly destroyed the world and we—I mean you, Alex—fixed things. End of story.”
“Except he’s going to come back again,” Rafe said softly. “You just know he is. He isn’t the sort to give up once he’s taken a beating. He’s one of the fighters who keeps coming back and back until even the strongest opponent drops from exhaustion or makes a mistake. Then he has you.”
Alex nodded. “And this time, he’ll have Tira with him.”
Sydney straightened and stood up, then walked up the tiled steps to the lip of the pool and stepped out.
Alex’s heart squeezed as he watched her and his body tightened.
“I had no idea you were sitting in that pool naked!” Rafe cried. “Damn it!”
Sydney walked over to them, trailing water drops, her hips swinging as she walked. It was mesmerizing. Alex barely got his legs out of the way as she sank down onto the edge of his lounger.
Was her hair longer than he remembered?
Sydney twisted her hair out of the way and squeezed the excess water onto the tiles at her feet. She looked at Rafe, sitting only inches away. “You’re worrying about something that might happen—”
“That very likely will happen,” he replied. “Tira doesn’t give up easy, either.”
“My point is, it hasn’t happened yet. Let it go, Rafe. After all these centuries, haven’t you learned how to live in the moment?”
“Sure, but not until I’ve made all the necessary precautions against a probable threat.”
“You’re not taking precautions right now. You’re just worrying out loud,” she told him gently.
Rafe gave her a small smile. “So what precautions should we be taking, so I can get on with living in the moment? Because there’s a drop of water sitting on the very tip of your nipple that I want to lick off.”
“For a start, you can turn me.” She looked at Alex. “Both of you.”
It was one of those rare moments when time stood still. Alex actually lost track of time passing. High overhead, he heard the call of a hawk, telling him that it was just him reacting to her proposal.
“No…” he said at last. He had to breathe it out. His chest wouldn’t unlock enough to speak properly.
Rafe shook his head. There was pain in his eyes.
Sydney picked up Alex’s hand. Her flesh was cooler than his in this torrid climate and damp, too. Then she reached for Rafe’s and held it.
“Think about it,” she said softly. “It makes sense. There isn’t…there won’t be children, so that’s not a reason to wait like it was for Taylor. And you just know we’re going to end up jumping back in time sooner or later. Even Brody and Taylor and Veris keep jumping even though they swear they’re never going to do it again. They keep being forced to it. So instead of refusing to consider it, we should acknowledge that it’s going to happen again and work with that.”
“That’s no reason—” Rafe began hotly.
Sydney held up his hand and squeezed it and he stopped. His expression was miserable and Alex rested his hand on Rafe’s shoulder. He wasn’t feeling much happier about this himself.
“I would be so much safer if I was a vampire, when I’m back in time,” Sydney added. “I would be invulnerable to disease, stronger and faster than anything that came at me. If Tira really is going to come after us, then I will no longer be the vulnerable one that she can use as leverage against the two of you. Not like she used Taylor.”
Alex stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “We like protecting you,” he said simply. “It is one of the privileges of our lives to do that. And…” He swallowed again. “I would miss lying with you at night while you sleep.”
Sydney’s face softened. Her smile was warm.
“You’d miss her sleeping in your arms a whole lot more if she was dead,” Rafe said.
Alex jerked and looked at him, shocked.
Rafe shrugged. “Sydney is right. Tira exploits weaknesses, just as Siorus does, and she considers humans to be weak.”
“Because we are weak compared to you,” Sydney added.
Alex could only shake his head. The idea of turning Sydney was making his gut roil in a way that reminded him of what it felt like to be ill, a sensation he’d not experience in many centuries. Fear was making his heart pound.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Rafe said. “Breathe, Alex. You’re starting to hyperventilate.”
Sydney shifted on the lounger and he felt her cool hands on his chest, through the light cotton shirt. “It’s Anna, isn’t it?” she said softly. “She left her mark on you, not just as your maker. The idea of another vampire, a woman, in your life is scaring the hell out of you.”
Alex made himself breathe deeply, recognizing that Rafe was right, his breathing was too fast and shallow. He looked Sydney in the eye. “How do you know about Anna?” he asked. Even saying her name was difficult.
“Taylor told me.” Sydney’s smile was warm. Understanding. “I am not Anna.”
“Thank God for that,” Alex said earnestly. His chest unlocked and he could breathe properly once more. “Forgive me. It is an ancient matter. However, for nearly a century I was as much a slave as Rafael ever was.”
“More than I was,” Rafe corrected softly. “She knew exactly what she was doing and she kept you on her string deliberately. She enjoyed it. When I was a slave it was just the way things were. None of my masters were ever delighted about having me at their beck and call.”
Sydney studied Alex candidly. “Do you believe I would ever do that to you?”
Alex shook his head. “You’re incapable of such cruelty,” he added.
She picked up their hands once more and looked at them for a long moment. Her beautiful green eyes held a grave expression. “If you do turn me, then you have to put up with me being in your lives for many, many centuries. If you don’t love me enough, if you can’t stand the idea of my being a part of your lives for the foreseeable future, then tell me you don’t want to turn me.”
Rafe drew in a sharp breath. She shook his hand again, silencing him. “If you do love me enough that you want me around forever, then turn me and I will stay. Because I know I love you. I love you enough that I would do exactly what Alex did and change time just to keep you with me. I want to give up the rest of my humanity so that I can do that.”
And she bit her lip, waiting for them to speak.
“Put that way,” Alex told her, “I can’t see that I have any other option than to sink my teeth into you this very instant. Yet I do not want to.”
“Alex…” Rafe breathed.
Alex pulled Sydney up against him, laying her damp body over his and looked into her eyes. “Can I turn you tomorrow? I’d much rather make love to you right now.”
Sydney relaxed against him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Tomorrow is fine.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears.
Alex held her and let out the last of his panic and fear on a deep exhale. Peace entered his soul.
Rafe leaned over and kissed him deeply, over the top of Sydney’s head. He dropped a kiss onto her cheek, too. “Together forever,” he breathed. “That’s not scary at all.”
Sydney laughed almost soundlessly, her chest vibrating against Alex’s.
“No, it isn’t scary,” Alex agreed. It was the absolute truth.