Page 132 of Serpent & Saviors

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” she huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Oh yes, of course.” I cleared my throat. “Mr. King, how could you? The audacity. I suggest you fork over that extra key, pronto. I’m her sister and if it needs to be kept in a safe place, I’m the most logical choice.” I held out my palm and wiggled it.

“Is that so?” He smirked.

The corner of Isabella’s mouth twitched like she was fighting a smile. “You’re the absolute worst, Reaper.”

“And yet, here we are.” He smirked before pulling his keys out and going around the ring. He notched his head toward the door. “Go get Kinsley for me, will you, while I work this damned thing free?”

With another exaggerated sigh, Isabella stalked off, muttering something under her breath about how ridiculous surprises were, not to mention how dramatic Kinsley was going to be. As soon as she was out of sight, Alek’s whole demeanor shifted. The playful energy dimmed just a little, nerves creeping in at the edges. I’d swear his fingers shook as he worked the key free.

Once he had it, he put it in my outstretched hand. “Keep this safe, promise. I swear it’s true, I’d never go in there unless it was a necessity.”

I studied him for a second before pocketing it. I knew the perfect place for it. “Alek, you okay?”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Honestly? Not really.”

His confession caught me off guard. He was always so effortlessly in control. Seeing him this way—anxious, uncertain—wasn’t something I was used to.

“You can tell me, you know. I’m pretty good at keeping things to myself,” I offered.

He hesitated, glancing toward the door to make sure no one was there. Then he sighed and looked at me, his usual confidence tempered with something softer.

“How about if I share something first?” I offered.

He straightened. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

Maybe it would help. Maybe it wouldn’t, but it didn’t hurt to get his thoughts, too. After all, we were family now.

“Isabella and I were talking about holding off on the wedding until we find Winter. It feels so wrong to plan something so huge without her. Maybe because the three of us have found one another again. I think Kinsley has similar thoughts. I mean…about the babies you want her to have. I know about the collar, too. It’s stunning and very her.”

His head jerked up, and my breath caught in my throat. Had I misjudged the situation? I gulped and lowered my eyes, as the intensity in his was too much.

“You think it’s that simple?” he breathed. “The babies thing?”

“I do. And maybe it’s foolishness on all our parts, but maybe we can put a timeline on it. I don’t know. I don’t want to disappoint Andy. He means the world to me, but I do feel torn. And if she feels the same…I don’t know.”

“Thank you,” he said, clearing his throat as the last word caught in the emotions he was dealing with. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. I guess how could I? Would it be awful if I asked her outright? I mean, not right this second, but when we’re alone. We only recently found out about the connection between you all.”

“I think that would be a beautiful thing and I’ll do you one better. Tonight is Ivan’s night, right?”

He nodded.

“Perfect. After we surprise Isabella and she runs off to her studio to contemplate things because let’s be real, we know she will need some time. I’ll talk with Kinsley. I need to confess my thoughts on waiting to her, anyway. I’ll encourage her to open up to you. Not that she needs that, but it helps to know someone else feels that same emotion.”

“Sebastian is both right and wrong in his assessment of you.”

“How so?” I asked, feeling my lips curl into a smile.

“You are out of his league, but absolutely perfectly in line with Marcel’s.”

“Good to know. So I take it you sort of approve?”

“I do. Not that you needed it.”

“So tell me, what has you worried about the surprise?”

“I love Isabella. She truly is the sister I didn’t get the privilege of seeing the adult side of. Now knowing she went through the same hell you and Kinsley did, I want to give her the world. I want her to be happy, truly happy, whatever that looks like. I want her to explore her talent in whatever way she can because it’s a gift. Well, you know, you have a son with the same level of talent. She was isolated for so long. Alone in her own little world. I never want her to feel alone again.”