Behind the Mask

29. Alba

Mel

The Olympic Games came to an end yesterday and tonight we will have the Mating Ball. I was considering going, but my stomach didn’t agree with me and even though Sienna was healing me over and over, the discomfort insisted on coming back within minutes. 

I sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath, trying to calm my stomach down a little and relax. 

“It’s fine, Honey, we don’t have to go,” Maximus said, crouching down in front of me and caressing my face. 

“I will stay and rest, but you should go and show that you support interspecies mating. It’s a very important event and we need as many people as possible to help to find Daisy’s mate,” I told him. 

I didn’t like Daisy at all, I loathed what she did to my Lea, but I didn’t want her to die consumed by darkness, none of us wanted it. 

“I don’t want to leave you alone, Melinda,” he told me, his golden-amber gaze penetrating mine with softness and intensity. 

“You should go, Maximus. I am fine.” 

This event was very important for the Realms and showing our support to the union of the realms and peace was fundamental. 

“Fine,” he exhaled deeply, “I will ask Alba to stay with you, that’s a compromise.” His voice carried an undertone of finality. He pressed a kiss on my forehead and caressed my swollen stomach before leaving. 

I sighed deeply and laid on my back, I really liked Alba. She was my first friend in this house and as the Head Healer, she would be able to help me with my nausea, probably better than Sienna. However, I also didn’t want to keep her from the Ball, especially because she was still unmated. 

After a couple of minutes, Alba arrived in a flash of dainty yellow light, she had a beautiful smile on her face. 

“Mel, I am happy to see you,” she beamed, closing the distance between and hugging me. 

“I am happy to see you too,” I smiled.

“Are you still feeling sick? I will see what I can do to help you, carrying twin hybrids is very hard, especially when one has hyperemesis gravidarum, severe case of nausea during almost the whole pregnancy, like you do,” she explained, hovering her hand over my bump and sending me a healing pulse that made me feel a bit better immediately. 

“I will ask Tina to make you some tea and we can talk and relax,” Alba smiled sweetly before leaving the room. 

I clearly remember the day we met, it was more than twenty-nine years ago. After almost six months of coming and going with my mysterious mate, I’d decided to never come back and try to forget about him. 

But I couldn’t, after six weeks apart, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was suffering from the heaviest mate withdrawal effects ever and I decided to meet him. When Cordy was escorting me to the room my surroundings disappeared and my vision went black as if I was wearing the ominous mask.  Before I could even ask for help, I started falling. 

 ~ * 

PAST 

Mel

I woke up startled, sitting up immediately and looking around. I was alone in an unfamiliar place, a white room, very neat and clean, the sunlight entered through two very long windows. 

Suddenly, a strong smell of herbs entered my nostrils. It wasn’t a bad smell in itself, but it made my stomach churn.

Where was I? This place resembled a hospital room. Was I sick? I couldn't recall what happened before… I was going to meet him, after not being able to bear the distance anymore. My body was hurting and my soul was shattered, I needed him. 

Him, the mate that I could never see.

A woman opened the door and looked at me smiling. She had a very serene, soothing smile, shoulders-long chestnut hair, warm hazel eyes, and her skin literally shined. Was she a witch?

“What happened? Where am I? Who are you?”  I asked her. 

I should have shown better manners, I could hear my former tutor's voice in my head chastising me. But I was so confused and lost.

“Hello, Princess Melinda. I’m Alba and I’m a healer. You fainted and were brought to an infirmary room.”

I was even more confused, I have never fainted before, was I cursed or poisoned? Was I sick indeed?

Alba saw the question in my eyes and answered it, “You are around seven weeks pregnant, did you know it befo…?”

“What?” I must be dreaming, or I’d heard it wrong.

It couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. I was in no position to have a baby, I had no one in this world. My mate… I didn’t have him, he was never with me. He just slept with me many times, without even showing his face or letting me hear his voice.

He was such a selfish man that he marked me without even asking before and never let me mark him. In conclusion, I had no mate.

I just wanted to get away from him, I kept trying to do it, but the mate-pull never allowed me to stay away for long. The pull was cruel. I always came back, to leave broke again and even more lonely.

“It can’t be! You are wrong!” I almost yelled. I was out of my mind, having a meltdown. It couldn’t be happening, I had nothing to offer this child.

“I am sorry Princess Melinda, but I am not wrong,” Alba replied calmly, her eyes looking warm, radiating sympathy and care. Even though she didn’t know me. 

I stood up abruptly, which almost made me fall down, but the lady helped me to steady myself.

“Please… be wrong! Please! It can’t be true!” I muttered as all repressed tears broke down my face and my sobs made me feel suffocating.

“Please, take a seat. You shouldn’t stress yourself that much,”  She uttered, putting her hands on my shoulders and helping me to sit down on the bed.

I was hyperventilating.

“Is there anyone I can call for you? A friend, a relative?”

“I have no one,” I sobbed. I was losing my self-control, desperation overtaking my senses and my thoughts. “I have no one, there is no one to call,” I repeated it clearly this time.

I could have asked her to call Avalon, but we had been growing distant lately and, of course, he would have something more important to do. He was a King and always very busy, he wouldn't have time to lose with my mundane problems.

“Now you have someone,” Alba told me as she placed my hand on my lower stomach.

My gaze traveled to my hand on my stomach and I sighed. 

Now, I will have someone.

I couldn’t stop crying, I couldn’t be a mother, I didn’t know how to be one and I was all alone. Seven weeks, that was some time, how didn’t I realise it before?

I had to get out of here and go back home. He should be somewhere around here, and I couldn’t be close to him. I couldn’t. Having him without being able to actually have him was breaking my heart. Every time a bit more.  

Alba gave me a glass of water and I started drinking it slowly, as I tried to steady my breath. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and somehow her touch washed me over with a wave of calmness. My breath was normal again and I was feeling less dizzy.

“Have you been feeling any unfamiliar sensation or discomfort lately?” she asked.

“I’ve been having nausea often, but I thought it was due to mate withdrawal and stress,” I answered, trying to recall the last few weeks.

“Now that you’re expecting the mate withdrawal effects can be much more severe, tenfold worse, unbearable. So, you should stay close to your mate during your entire pregnancy.”

I inhaled deeply at her words, that was all I wanted to avoid. My plan was to come here, stay some time with him, mitigate my suffering, calm my heart down and mend my soul. Then I could go back to stay away for one more month. It was as having a monthly dose of mate warmth. I needed it and I knew he needed it too.

Staying longer with him meant letting myself, my heart, break even more. Having only a small glimpse, a little piece of what I wanted, what I was meant to have whole.

“Do you want to know the gender of your baby?” she asked. My eyes met hers once again and I nodded half-absently.

“You are expecting a girl.” She informed me. 

I didn’t answer, I was trying to assimilate the news, fully understand what was happening. I placed my hand on my stomach and breathed deeply.

I’ll have a daughter. Another fresh batch of tears started to flow down my cheeks

What will I do? What could I give to my child? I couldn’t give her a complete family. It was only me.

My heart was breaking and I cried for her.

Alba stroked my hair lightly. She was surely the nicest person I’ve met in this place. This place that I didn’t know anything about. 

As mysterious as my mate and everything surrounding him.

“I will be back soon, try to calm yourself down,” She muttered with a sympathetic smile. She was only trying to help, but there was nothing she could do.

I kept sobbing and weeping until I wore myself out and fell into a dreamless slumber.

~ * 

After I woke up, my hand roamed to my belly inadvertently and a small smile crossed my face. 

It was far from the ideal situation, but I had someone. I had my baby girl and she would always have me and all my love. 

I always wanted to have a family, a loving mate, and children, even knowing that it would be hard I always had hope. When I lost my parents, my family, this desire only grew. I needed it.

But my dreams were broken, I didn’t have a loving mate.

I hoped I could give my children, my child, a loving family since I haven’t had one for quite some time. I wished I could give them all I couldn’t have myself, the opportunity to grow up with their parents, siblings, and a home full of love and affection.

But that hope was shattered too.

I wouldn’t be able to give my little girl a family.

I’ll be the best mom possible to her, dedicate myself to be all the family she needs, and cover her with love. She also would be all the family I need.

Our love for each other would be more than enough, it would be our happiness and our strength. 

 ~ * ~ 

Elric

Alba told me about the news; about Princess Melinda's pregnancy. 

“My heart hurts for her.” Alba sighed as she stood by my side looking at the one-sided glass with a view to Melinda’s room. 

Due to a mirrored magic that allowed healers to assess their patients easily, we could see inside her room, we could see but all she could see was a mirror.

“I feel absolutely bad for her too. But unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do,” I answered, looking at her fragile sobbing form, she was curled up into a ball hugging her knees.

She was carrying what could be, who could be, the most important person for me and for achieving peace. I dreaded to see her like this, but I couldn’t risk the little life that was growing inside her, a very precious life. 

No one could know about this baby, about Melinda and Maximus mating, it was the best way to protect our little miracle.

“We should keep her close to Maximus, to ensure that she and the baby are healthy.” 

 ~ * ~ 

PRESENT

Mel

I breathed deeply and let go of the memories. It was hard and painful, but in the end, going through it was worth it, it gave me the two loves of my life, my Liv and my Lea. A love that will soon be expanded and renewed, with my boys. I smiled, caressing my belly. 

“You look good, happier,” Alba said as she placed the cup of tea on the bedside table.

I sighed, her words surprised me, “Do you think so?” 

I took the tray of tea with me and took a seat on one of the comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace and Alba joined me. 

“Yes, Mel. Last time I saw you at Lea’s coronation in the Fae Realm you looked good too, stronger, more independent, more yourself. But now, besides that, you look lighter and there is a soft gleam in your eyes,” she explained.

“Maximus and I are trying again, it’s the best thing to do for the babies. It still hurts and it isn’t easy to let go, it doesn't matter how hard I try. But I guess that staying close to him and feeling how deeply she cares about me and the babies, gives me some peace, some warmth.” 

“It’s a way to heal, slowly. You still love him,” she muttered, it wasn’t a question but rather an affirmation.

“I do, how can I not love him when there is a mate-bond between us? But love isn’t always enough.” I sighed deeply and sipped my delicious tea. It was indeed good to soothe my stomach.  

“Would you love him without the bond? Does your love go beyond fate’s plans?” Alba asked.

I breathed deeply, I didn’t know it anymore, I didn’t know how to fix our relationship and have something beyond being together because of the babies. But there was something that I knew and that I could fix.

“Alba, you should go to the Mating-ball,” I told her after I finished my tea.

“No, I can’t leave you alone. I am a bad dancer, so I am not missing anything,” she smiled. 

“Maybe your mate will be there.”

“I’ve been waiting for too long. Having hope was only hurting me, I am fine without a mate and my inner darkness is almost nonexistent, so I don’t need to find my soulmate to placate its growth.” She had a smile on her lips, but her eyes had a twinkle of sadness. I placed a comforting hand over hers. 

“I think you should try, at least tonight. I heard they are serving the best Hell Whiskey there and the food is fantastic. I am about to go to bed anyway,” I told her as I stood up and tucked myself on the bed. 

I was tired and sure that I would fall asleep soon and soundly. 

Alba sighed deeply, “Fine, one last hope,” she smiled. 

 ~ * ~ 

Alba

I took a lungful of air and courage and changed to a long purple gown. I knew that my chances to meet him were very little, almost nonexistent. 

But I wanted to hope for one last time, knowing that the act of hope had its own magic. 

I flashed to the entrance of the Olympic Castle and walked to the ballroom, thoughts, and doubts burbling in my head. 

I hoped Mel would be fine, I knew that she was strong and enough for herself, she didn’t need a mate to be complete. However, I also knew that she was happier close to him, with him. 

I only hoped Lord Maximus could give her all the love she deserved, she shouldn’t ever set for less again, neither for the babies nor for the bond. I also hoped she could see that and make the right decision forherself. 

I descended the long stairs of the Ball hall, still lost in thought when a wonderful smell of forest musk and fresh-baked bread caressed my lungs and made me sigh dreamily. Before I could join the dance crowd or make my way to the banquet table, I heard a guttural and soul-filled claim, “MINE.” 

Soon enough, my gaze met a pair of teal eyes and my soul trembled in ecstasy. He was the one, he was everything. 

He closed the distance with us by taking very fast steps, wrapped me in his embrace, and buried his face on the crook of my neck, breathing me in deeply. 

Tinglings coming straight from the depths of my soul made me feel giddy, given, lost in pleasure. 

A gasp escaped my lips when the realisation hit me, he was a vampire. He took advantage of my open lips and invaded my mouth with his tongue, his hands roaming around my waist in sensual caresses. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything besides kissing him back. 

We parted the kiss, panting and he looked intently into my eyes, “I am Vance, beautiful mate. Please tell me everything about you.” His voice made my breath hitch in my throat as the warm pleasure built up in the pit of my stomach. 

My timid and tiny last hope expanded in a smile of pure bliss.