Eternal Kingdom
Chapter Five

"Hey there, beautiful."

I rolled my eyes, giggling as he grabbed onto my hand and twirled me around.

"Not you, too. I'm literally wearing comfy clothes. Not 'beautiful' or 'sexy' or anything remotely attractive." I insisted, nervously straightening my tee and pulling it up at the top to hide a little more of my cleavage. Lysander had literally seen me naked, but I couldn't keep my heart from beating anxiously anytime he was around.

I chalked it up to learning about our special connection a month ago. Apparently doing the power exchange was a little more personal than I originally understood it to be, though Ly wouldn't tell me exactly how. All I knew was that when his lips touched me, or vice versa, a feeling like a mix of floating and tickling pleasure would jolt through us along with a faint blue glow at the point of contact.

Not that this kind of thing happened frequently.

He hadn't kissed me since that night in the lighthouse, and even then, it was a peck on the back of my hand. He was still just as snuggly as he always had been, but he never crossed that line with me.

I was incredibly thankful for his tact. He never showed any desires to kiss me or anything, but I couldn't deny that an attraction had formed that was never there before.

And I fought it tooth and nail.

I would never betray my Kings by having some sort of secret love affair with the god. No matter the level of sexual attraction I felt for him, I was faithful. I had to be.

Hell, I literally vowed to be when reinstating my bond with Bastion. I loved them both so much that the mere thought of surrendering to Lysander's incredibly tantalizing, hypnotizing, sexy... Shit!

"My face is up here, sweetheart." He teased, biting his lip to withhold his laughter. I glared, only making him laugh harder, waving his hands in front of him in surrender. "I'm sorry, Aria. You're just too fun to tease. I am rather curious, though, on if you got your new assignment, yet?"

I crossed to the sofa, sitting with a plop, only to see him join me. Except he didn't just sit. He leaned over, resting his head on my lap and snuggling further into my legs.

I fought my smile and the warmth in my face, moving my hands up to his hair tie. I tugged gently on it, freeing his silky sandy brown locks and combing through them with my fingertips. He really had the most beautiful hair. I didn't even mind the length. It suited him nicely, framing his flawless face in a way that reminded me of an ancient prince.

I saw a faint blush cross his cheeks, but he didn't comment on my affectionate behavior.

This was okay, right? It wasn't sexual or anything. We were just... close friends. It was just hair.

"Aria?" His deep and enchanting voice rang out around me.

"Hm?"

"The assignment?" He reminded me, sounding slightly concerned, likely because I kept zoning out every ten seconds.

"Oh, right. Yea, we're moving to Pittsburgh!" He flinched, his eyes growing wide as they stared into the crackling fire before us. "P-Pittsburgh?" He stuttered, moving his right hand up to rest on my knee as if bracing himself and comforting me simultaneously. "Yea. Wait, isn't that where I met you and Luna for the first time?" At least, that's what I remembered her saying way back when. He nodded slowly, confirming my memory, before clearing his throat.

"I, uh, I live in Pittsburgh." He choked out, barely audible.

*Huh?*

"You have a home?" I inquired honestly. I always assumed he lived in some spirit dimension, separate from Earth. He snorted, clearly amused by my totally legitimate question.

"Obviously. I also sleep and bathe and cook meals. I am alive, Aria." Okay, these confessions surprised me as well, but I wasn't going to tell him that. He would make fun of me.

"I just assumed you lived in some sort of heaven, or something." He smiled, turning over to lie on his back so he could look up at me. The intimate sight of him lying on my lap, his bright blue eyes meeting mine, stole my breath and I tried desperately to get it back.

"There is no such place as far as I know." His statement was enough to distract me from the hidden desire swirling inside of me.

"Holy shit, really? So all gods live on Earth? How about Luna?" He chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Yes, she has a home as well. In Michigan. It's excessive if you ask me. I prefer a simpler way of life. My home is more of an old fashioned colonial house." This time I snorted, my right hand resting on his sternum for support as I laughed. "So the exact opposite of your people?" He nodded, eyes twinkling in adoration with a charming smile.

"So where are you in Pittsburgh?" He prodded, poking my cheek with his forefinger.

"Wouldn't you already know?" I challenged, raising a brow. He subtly sighed. "I'm not omniscient, darling."

"You were able to tell the future before." I argued, making him screw his mouth shut. He looked like he really wanted to tell me something, but some part of him was preventing it. He reached up, grabbing a lock of my hair and bringing the tip of it down to his lips.

"I... Luna and I stopped receiving foretelling's when my father was freed. They were only ever a temporary thing. A lot like your oracle, they were limited visions we saw on occasion. Granted, ours were in more detail than his, but now..." "You're just as blind as us."

I spoke the words as they hit my mind. Everything I thought I knew about deities was crashing around me, and I wasn't sure how to process it.

Who was he? What power did he really hold? It was clear that he was more powerful than I was. Hell, he could teleport and ensure I get pregnant with a certain man's child. He was above any other vampire, but just how far above us was he really?

"What-" How could I phrase this without coming off rude or pushy? He was already watching me closely, eyes wide and worried about how I would take the news. It wasn't every day that someone learned that their god, the one they had been trusting to have control of destiny, actually held next to no power at all. I swallowed the lump in my throat, searching his eyes for an answer to the questions I didn't want to ask. "Aria..."

"What are you, Lysander?"

He blinked, pulling in his bottom lip again, a nervous gesture I had picked up on in the last year.

"I- fuck. I can't tell you just yet, sweetheart. But if you're wondering if you can still trust me, I promise that you can. I know it's a lot to take in, but-" He reached down to my hand that was still splayed on his chest, pushing it further into his warm skin. Suddenly, I felt something. It was his heartbeat. I had never been able to hear his heart before, not even with my heightened senses, but there it was, a beautiful and wonderful tune, similar to a waltz in its elegance. "I will protect you, always, Aria. I... You are very important to me."

As if I had heard some sort of life-altering confession of love, my stomach did flips, my heart beat increasing along with his.

Against my wishes, my eyes flitted down from his shining blues to his soft, plump lips. They were calling to me, begging me to feel them once again. And I wanted to. Deep, deep down, I wanted nothing more than that. "Aria." His smooth, velvety voice was dragging me in.

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.org is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "Lysander, I-" I whispered back, inching my way down to him until I could feel his warm and sweet smelling breath fanning my face. "I don't know what I'm doing."

His tongue jutted out, moistening his lips as I drew closer. Just when my lips were about to make contact with his, he gripped my shoulders, stopping me. I jerked myself back to an upright position, my face burning with the embarrassment of the rejection.

"I'm so sorry." I rushed out, turning my head sideways to avoid his gaze. He sat up, sighing in a mix of frustration and disappointment that I soon learned was not directed at me.

"Don't apologize, Aria. I wanted to... It's just, my venom. I don't want to put you in that position, especially if you don't know how you feel." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. I chanced a glance at him, catching him run a hand over his crimson face, stopping over his mouth.

He was embarrassed, too.

Suddenly, something he said caught my focus. Did he say he wanted to kiss me? Why would he want to kiss me? Better yet, why did I want to kiss him?

Maybe because I had been seeing him every single day since the King was freed. Or maybe because every time we saw each other, we couldn't keep our bodies to ourselves. Or maybe because of our magical connection to one another that was somehow more potent than the mate or royal bond, but not focused purely on sex. Why did I crave to taste him again? And why did this craving come from deep in my soul?

Shit, thank goodness he stopped me. How would I face my Kings knowing that I kissed another man in secret?

"Thank you for stopping it, Lysander. That would've been a huge mistake."

I watched his shoulders fall at my words. That made me sound like such an asshole.

"I didn't mean it like-"

"It's fine. I promise. Let's just forget it ever happened, okay?" He turned to me, a brightly lit smile on his face that could've fooled anyone. I offered an appreciative smile in return.

"So, where in Pittsburgh?" He asked for what felt like the hundredth time. I crossed to the bed where I had set the informational packet, handing it to him. He opened it gracefully, his eyes widening when he took in the address. "What?"

"Well, welcome to the neighborhood, Queen."