Chapter 6 lexie
A Week Ago
The scent of iron and antiseptic filled the air as I pressed a damp cloth against a soldier’s shoulder wound. Blood had soaked through his uniform, dark and sticky, but the bleeding was finally slowing.
“Hold still,” I murmured gently. “You’re lucky. Another inch and you’d have lost the arm.”
He grunted something that sounded like a thank-you.
Our nurse tent was chaotic as usual—low lantern light flickering against canvas walls, the constant shuffle of boots outside, muffled groans of injured soldiers waiting their turn. War didn’t care if you were tired. It didn’t care if supplies ran low.
And we were running low.
I tied off the bandage and stepped back, wiping my forehead with the back of my wrist. That’s when I noticed the baskets sitting near the entrance of the tent.
Three of them.
Neatly woven. Packed full.
My brows furrowed. We hadn’t ordered anything.
I set the rag down and walked over cautiously. Tucked between folded linens and neatly wrapped medical bundles was a small folded note.
Heard you need help and a restock.
— Alastor
I stared at the handwriting for a long moment before a small smile curved my lips.
“Of course,” I whispered.
Fresh bandages. Clean cloth. Bottled antiseptic. Even herbal salves that were hard to come by this far from the capital.
“Lexie?”
I looked up to see Alice approaching, her blonde hair tied back messily, sleeves rolled to her elbows. She followed my gaze to the baskets and her eyes widened.
“That’s a lot,” she said. “Who’s it from?”
“Alastor,” I replied softly, carefully lifting one of the wrapped bundles. “He must’ve been passing through yesterday and heard me complaining about needing a restock.”
Alice smirked. “Complaining loudly, I’m guessing?”
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe.”
She laughed and nudged my shoulder. “He’s sweet.”
I didn’t answer that. Instead, I began organizing the supplies, warmth spreading quietly in my chest.
He had been listening.
A Few Days Later
The days blurred together after that—long shifts, rotating camps, wounded soldiers cycling in and out. Sleep came in short, shallow bursts.
A few days later, as I stepped out of the tent to breathe in the cool night air, I saw a small figure approaching from the shadows.
A vampire.
She was petite, with dark pink skin and black-to-red ombré hair cascading over her shoulders. Her golden eyes scanned the camp anxiously.
“Lexie,” she called softly.
I immediately recognized her.
“Destiny?” I hurried over. “What’s wrong?”
Her hands trembled slightly. “It’s Alastor. He didn’t come home.” Her voice cracked. “Did he stay here?”
My stomach dropped.
“No,” I said slowly. “I haven’t seen him. But thank you for the baskets.”
She nodded absently. “You’re welcome.”
Her eyes darted around the camp again, uneasy.
“That’s not like him,” she whispered. “He wouldn’t just up and leave.”
Something cold settled in my chest.
I gently pulled her aside, away from wandering ears, and rubbed her back in comfort. “Has he done this before?”
“No,” she said firmly. “Never. He has a kingdom to run.”
My head snapped up. “He has a kingdom?”
She hesitated only a second. “He’s a prince.”
A prince.
The words echoed in my mind. Alastor had never told me that.
“Stay in the shadows,” I told her quietly. “Don’t let anyone see you.”
She nodded.
I returned to the nurse station, my thoughts racing.
“Niche,” I said, approaching the head nurse. “Can I be on the next swap-out rotation?”
She looked up from her clipboard. “Of course.”
That was all I needed.
Months Later
Time passed.
Too much time.
We rotated camps twice. Fights broke out along the borders. Supply lines shifted.
But there was no sign of him.
Not a letter. Not a rumor.
Nothing.
Months later, Destiny stood in our shared tent, pacing.
“He couldn’t vanish without a trace,” she said, frustration lacing her voice.
I nodded slowly. “Something doesn’t add up.”
Alastor was many things—charming, reckless, mysterious—but irresponsible wasn’t one of them.
I sat on the edge of my cot and hugged my knees, staring at the ground. A strange ache pulsed in my chest, persistent and sharp.
Then Destiny gasped.
I looked up sharply. “What?”
She was staring at my hand.
I followed her gaze.
A thin red line glowed faintly along my wrist.
My breath caught.
“That’s a bond line,” Destiny whispered. “I’ve never seen one in person.”
Neither had I.
The line shimmered faintly, like a thread of light pulling forward—stretching beyond the tent wall.
Leading somewhere.
“It’s a good thing it’s night,” I murmured, rising to my feet.
Destiny nodded quickly.
We followed it.
The red line pulsed brighter the farther we walked. It led us beyond the main camp… beyond the supply tents… toward a smaller, isolated structure guarded by armed soldiers.
A jail.
Destiny swallowed. “Is it leading us to him?”
“We’re about to find out,” I replied.
Two soldiers spotted us.
“Who goes there?” an older male barked, raising his rifle.
I forced my voice steady. “There’s a fight happening in the soldiers’ tent.”
The men exchanged annoyed glances.
“Again?” one muttered.
They hurried off toward the noise.
The second they were gone, Destiny and I slipped inside.
The air was damp and cold. Metal bars lined the narrow hallway.
Then I heard it.
A grunt.
Followed by a strained voice.
“Leave her alone. I’ll lead you into the castle. Just leave her alone.”
My heart slammed into my ribs.
I looked at Destiny.
“Alastor,” I whispered.
She nodded, eyes wide.
We rushed forward until we reached the final cell.
And there he was.
Chained.
Bruised.
Head bowed.
Rage ignited inside me.
Before I could second-guess myself, heat surged through my veins. My skin darkened. My eyes burned gold.
My demon form surfaced.
“Let him go,” I said, my voice echoing unnaturally through the corridor.
The guard spun around.
“Lexie?” he breathed, staring in disbelief.
His gaze dropped to my glowing bond line, which stretched directly to Alastor.
Understanding dawned.
“Of course,” he sneered. “You’re his mate.”
“I said let him go,” I repeated, flames forming in my palm. “Or I’ll set this place on fire.”
He hesitated.
I lifted the fireball higher, letting it crackle against the stone walls.
His jaw clenched.
Then he unlocked the chains.
They fell away with a heavy clang.
Destiny stepped forward slowly, her expression shifting.
“You look starved,” I said quietly, not taking my eyes off the guard.
He backed up nervously.
Destiny smiled sweetly.
“I love fast food,” she said.
Then she attacked.
The guard barely had time to scream before she sank her fangs into him.
I rushed to Alastor, dropping to my knees in front of him.
He looked up weakly.
“Lexie…” he breathed.
My hands trembled as I touched his face.
The moment our skin met, the red line flared bright—
And snapped into place.
Heat surged between us, not painful—but overwhelming.
The bond sealed.
His eyes widened as strength seemed to flood back into him.
“You came,” he whispered.
“Of course I did,” I said, tears blurring my vision. “You idiot.”
He gave a weak laugh.
Behind us, Destiny wiped blood from her mouth and grinned.
“Family reunion over?” she asked.
I helped Alastor to his feet, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“We’re leaving,” I said firmly.
As we stepped out into the night, flames still flickering at my fingertips, I realized something important.
They hadn’t just captured a prince.
They had captured my mate.
And now they would learn exactly what that meant.