Chapter 43

**Nerissa POV**

Finally, feeling as the darkness around me started to lift up, slowly I opened my eyes, blinking a few times, noticing the ceiling, and window curtains, making me look in panic fast around until my eyes landed on a person I never thought I would be so happy to see once again.
“Alex?” I croaked out in disbelief, hoping it was not one of my dreams again.
I noticed his eyes were filled with worry and relief, but the moment I said his name, a small smile appeared on his lips as he opened his mouth to say something but got caught up as I sat up straight and wrapped my arms around his neck as tears of joy I never thought I would feel with him, silently feel down over my cheek.
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me even closer as he placed his nose in the side of my neck, inhaling deeply for a moment, making goosebumps rise over my skin as I felt the tip of his nose trail gently over my neck, moving away a little as his warm, minty breath, tickled my ear as he gently whispered, “Shh…No one is going to hurt you, love, you are safe now. I got you.”
Slowly I pushed myself away, looking at him with my teary eyes as his palms cupped my face, wiping away the fallen tears with his thumbs, looking at me with so many strong emotions I couldn’t recognize, making me feel safe in this very moment I was with him.
“Don’t cry, love, please. It is ok now, I promise you.” He spoke so gently as I took in the closeness we were at, using the chance to trace with my eyes every wrinkle and scar if any that was showing on his face as my eyes fell down on his lips, watching mesmerized how he formed the words he was saying to me.
The memory of the ritual, the meaning of it, hit me so hard as panic took over my heart, gripping it tightly, making my eyes rise up and look deep into his, wide with worry, searching for something I was afraid to admit.
Noticing my distress, Alex looked into my eyes with worry shining out from his asking me, “What is wrong, love?”
My heart was pounding so fast and so hard as I grabbed onto his hands that were holding my face gently, squeezing his hands with my own, showing what I was about to ask him was important, managing to gain his full attention as he was about to say something but I cut him first, asking him, “D-do you still feel it?”
He looked at me confused, trying to understand what I was saying, so he asked me, “Feel what, love?”
I could feel the tingles erupting on my skin from the place his hands were pressed, but I wasn’t sure he could also feel them.
The thought of the ritual being successful squeezed down at my heart, making it so hard to breathe, but I had to know, I had to ask him.
Swallowing hard as I closed my eyes shut, taking in a deep breath as much as possibly I could gather, I opened my eyes, looking up into his emerald ones, I silently prayed to Goddess before I managed to ask aloud the question, “Do you still feel t-the…tingles?”
He looked at me silently, making me nervous as I waited for his answer, fearing the worst the more seconds passed by, when he spoke, with a gentle tone, “Of course I do. Why are you asking me such a question, love?”
Hearing his answer, I felt like a burden was lifted off of my chest, making me feel able to breathe, but I had to ask to be fully sure, “So, you do feel our bond?”
His eyes narrowed, looking at me with worry and confusion as he asked, “Love, what is going on? Why are you asking such a question?”
Before I could answer his question, I saw his eyes grow wide as a realization hit him, making him speak up, “Hell! I am so sorry, love!” His eyes searched in sadness and worry of my own as he continued to speak, “I-I know I treated you wrong and I regret it, every moment since those words fell out of my mouth. I wasn’t a mate you deserved and trust me, I would give everything if I could to take back the time and make all wrongs right and be since the first moment I laid my eyes down on you, a true mate you deserve and would be proud of. I am not asking for your forgiveness, I know I don’t deserve it, but I can promise you if you would be willing to give me a chance to redeem myself, and show you that yes I do and I always did feel our bond, I would not fail you again as your mate, Nerissa. All I am asking is a chance to prove my love for you not just as a mate, but as a man that was secretly in love with you since the first moment I saw you, would you please give me at least a chance?”
I was speechless as I was silently listening to his speech.
His eyes were anxious and scared as he was giving me time to decide, but all I could think of was his words…he always felt our bond, and he still does!
Then the last part of his words sank down on me, making me gasp as I looked into his eyes, searching silently for the answer in them, making me realize that that was it the whole time I would see there.
It was all along showing before my eyes but I couldn’t recognize it as before he was fast to hide his emotions but now…now he is showing me his soul, laying it all out for me to see out in the open as all his emotions were shining out from his beautiful emerald green eyes.
He wasn’t breathing as he was silently waiting for my response as I whispered out the question, asking him in wonder, “Y-you love me?”
He looked me deep into my eyes, taking my hand, pressing my palm as he covered it with his larger one right above his beating heart, he said without any hesitation, trying to show me with his eyes and his words as well with his heart, that his next words were honest, “Yes I do. I love you, Nerissa with my whole heart and my soul.”
I could feel the steady, strong beating of his heart, the strong words that spoke without any hesitation but pure honesty as his eyes never once blinked and showed me he was serious and honest.
My heart beats started to race inside my chest like a warm feeling of love and joy overtook me, making me move so fast as I pressed my lips down over his, kissing him with all I was feeling for all this time no matter how hard I tried to ignore or deny it even to myself.
I took him by surprise as for a second he was startled, but immediately after realizing I was kissing him, his arms wrapped around me as his lips kissed mine back.
His tongue traced gently over my lower lip, asking for the entrance as I happily gave him the permission.
Our tongues started to battle in a war over dominance, but he won easily as slowly he deepened our kiss, making me moan into his mouth as a growl ripped out from his chest.
The kiss became so passionate, making the air around us feeling electrified as he pushed me even closer into his hard body, feeling his pecs under my palms as slowly his muscles would twitch under my palms as he would slowly caress my back with his one hand while his other tangled into my hair.
I was losing breath due to our kiss, but I just didn’t wish to stop it, I couldn’t know when I realized how I felt, and what I could have lost.
Slowly, he pulled away, stopping our kiss as our foreheads touched as our eyes looked into each other, trying to catch a much-needed air, I saw him smile at me, making me lose my breath for a moment before I said to him, “I love you, Alexander.”
I saw him blink a few times, hearing my words but feeling surprised. A huge grin appeared on his face as he looked into my eyes, asking, “You love me?”
Smiling back at him, I managed to croak out as my throat got tight by all the emotions, I said, “I do, I always had, but I was in denial, but not anymore.”
This time he was the one that took my breath away as he kissed me once again, showing with his kiss all his emotions, making mine spark out even more as our kiss soon started to become passionate.
I could feel the tingles dancing all over my body, making the fire rise inside of me as a moan escaped my mouth once again, making a delicious growl escape his chest.
My hands were as they had the mind of their own, slowly touching over his naked chest, going lower, feeling his steel abs until I could feel a soft fabric of a towel under my fingers.
His hand gently grabbed onto my hands, moving them away from the towel as he slowly pulled away from our kiss, breathing ragged that equaled my own as he leaned down his forehead onto my own, locking his eyes with mine once again, he said in a deep, raspy voice, “We should better stop, or I won’t be able to control myself, love.”
I was speechless as I looked at him in surprise by his words, feeling the raging fire of desire burning in need and want for him.
Noticing my surprised reaction, he said, winking at me at the end, “I don’t want to rush you into this love because you deserve this to be perfect, but trust me I want you, I want you so much it is killing me to pull away from you but I have to because you deserve the best and when you are ready and the time is right, I promise you I will not pull back and will make you mine for eternity if you will want me.”