THE BLOOD SOVEREIGN'S REJECTION

Chapter 6: The Gilded Cage

"Take the boy to the eastern wing," Alexander commanded, his voice cutting through the suffocating tension in the foyer. "Prepare the royal nursery. Put a triple guard at the door. No one enters without my direct permission."

"Alexander, you cannot be serious!" Victoria snarled, her ruby eyes flashing with pure malice as she stared at my son. "You are bringing this human's bastard into the royal quarters? What will the council say?"

Alexander turned on his heel, his movement so fast it blurred. In a split second, he was inches from Victoria's face, his towering frame radiating a lethal, icy pressure that literally forced the air out of her lungs. "The council will bow to the heir of my bloodline, Victoria. And if you speak of my son or Elena in that tone again, I will remind you exactly why my family rules this coven. Go back to your chambers."

Victoria’s jaw clenched so hard I heard the bone click. She shot me one last murderous look before turning around and vanishing up the marble stairs, the train of her crimson gown whipping behind her.

A kind-looking, elderly woman in a neat maid's uniform stepped forward, bowing low to Alexander. "Your Grace."

I looked down at Leo, who was staring wide-eyed at the massive chandelier, his little fangs completely retracted now, though he was still trembling. I didn't want to let him go, but I knew I couldn't protect him here without Alexander's power.

"Elena," Alexander said, his voice softening just a fraction as he looked at me. "Martha will take Leo to the nursery. It is the safest room in the estate. Go with her, see him settled, and then meet me in the study."

I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat and nodded. I followed Martha up a separate wing of the mansion. The nursery was beautiful, filled with velvet toys and a large, plush bed. Once Leo was safely tucked in, his exhaustion pulling him straight into a deep sleep, I pressed a kiss to his cheek and stepped out, my heart pounding as I made my way down to Alexander's private study.

I didn't bother knocking. I pushed the heavy oak doors open and stepped inside.

The room was lit only by the crackling fire in the hearth. Alexander stood by the grand fireplace, a crystal glass of dark red liquid in his hand. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the smooth, pale skin of his chest.

"Why did you marry her?" I demanded, slamming the door shut behind me. The anger that had been simmering inside me for four years finally boiled over. "If you're the all-powerful King, why did you throw me away for a pureblood who hates you?"

Alexander didn't answer right away. He set his glass down on the mantelpiece and turned to face me. The firelight caught the sharp planes of his face, making him look devastatingly handsome—and utterly dangerous.

"Victoria’s family controls the northern territories, Elena," he said, taking a slow, deliberate step toward me. "Four years ago, the coven was on the brink of a civil war. The elders demanded a political alliance to secure the throne. If I hadn't married her, they would have overthrown me—and the very first thing they would have done to weaken me was hunt down my human assistant and drain every drop of blood from your veins."

He took another step, closing the distance between us until I was backed flat against the heavy wooden door. The intoxicating scent of cedarwood and raw vampire power rolled off him in waves, making my breath hitch.

"I didn't throw you away to hurt you," he whispered, his voice dropping into that dark, possessive register that used to make me completely helpless beneath him. He raised a hand, his cold fingers gently tracing the line of my jaw, sending a violent jolt of electric heat straight to my core. "I did it to keep you alive."

"And what about now?" I breathed, my chest heaving as I tried to ignore the sinful ache blooming deep inside me. I forced myself to look into his gray eyes, which were slowly bleeding into a dark, hungry crimson. "You brought me back to a house with a wife who wants me dead."

Alexander leaned in close, his chest pressing against mine, pinning me against the door. I could feel the rigid, unyielding strength of his body, the absolute dominance radiating from him. His eyes dropped to my lips, his pupils completely blown wide with raw, primal hunger.

"Victoria is my wife in name only, Elena," he growled low, his fangs dropping slightly, brushing against his lower lip. "I have never touched her. I have never tasted her. For four years, my bed has been cold, and my mind has been consumed by the memory of you. You think you hate me, but your pulse is racing. Your blood is singing for me."

He lowered his head, his cold lips brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck, right over the hidden scar where he used to mark me as his. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his hand slid down to grip my hip, pulling me flush against his hard thighs.

"You are back in my castle, Elena," Alexander whispered fiercely against my skin, his grip tightening with pure possession. "And this time, I am never letting you go."