Must I Be Your Bride? - Chapter Twenty Three

All I have to say for this chapter...
If you've read my other stories, you know I'm not very fond of bad endings. So don't worry about that. If I ever to right an unlikable ending, it won't start with this story.
Love you guys!

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The whole ride to the airport, I was clutching William so tight that a human might not have been able to breathe. But he understood. He was holding me as tightly as he could without suffocating me. There would be the occasional terrible moment where everything would get to me and I would have to place my head on his shoulder as I cried, and he would only repeat to me that things would work out. The words lasted long enough for me to go through the next ten minutes before the moment came to me again.

A half an hour - that's how long the ride took. The longest ride of my life.

"You lied," I had forced out at one moment. "You said it was only a plane ticket away."

"We're almost there," he assured.

When we made it to the airport, I almost went into delirium. I couldn't do this. Just the thought... I felt like I was going to die before I could even have a chance to see my family.

William noticed. He took my hand, and I was relieved when he showed me the two plane tickets he had hidden in his coat pocket. I nearly cried from the relief.

We were in San Francisco, a forty-five minute flight from California.

"How did you take me to your kingdom? I wasn't exactly conscious enough to pass through the security."

"It was long drive."

My eyes widened. "What were you doing in California, anyway?" I ask as we take our seats.

He shrugged. "Traveling, I suppose."

I looked at him for a long moment. "I don't believe you."

He smiled - barley. But it was a smile.

"And what other reason would I have to go?" He says.

"Work?"

"What work?"

I hesitated. "Killing those who know about vampires?"

The light in his eyes disappear for a moment, but then he looks away. "That's not my job, Serene."

Noticing his actions, I say, "Did you ever kill someone who knew too much?"

"No," he says. "Never."

The pilot announces that we're about to take flight, and everyone rushes to their seats and clicks on their safety belts.

"Will they try to kill me?"

I'm not sure why I asked that so calmly or why I even asked that. Of course, William would find that a bit offensive. After all, he already had worked this out, and now I doubted him?

"No," he says, his hold on my hand tightening.

I bite my lips as I snuggle against him, my heart aching so badly. I hide my face on his chest, and practically secretly cry the whole flight.

When we arrive, we take a cab. In one hour, we would be at my house. I did have a speck of desperation to see my family again, but yet, my feelings for William kept hiding it.

"I can't do this," I stammered unevenly as our clock starts running out.

"Yes, you can," he says. "We'll get through this, I promise."

I look at him, but I only see his unreadable features. Everything was just so neutral, not giving one possible reaction away.

"I can't read you." I take in a deep breath and try to control my voice. "What are you thinking?"

He slowly meets my gaze, his light eyebrows narrowing. His forehead leans against mine, and he kisses me. And as he did, I feel his pain, the pain he's been hiding so well under that perfect skin of his.

"Don't make me do this," I beg, not opening my eyes.

"I'm not making you do anything. You want to see your family again."

"But I wanted you there with me."

"And how do you suppose explaining me?"

He got me there. How would I explain him to my family without also exposing him?

"That's a plan we could work on," I say.

"We already have a plan." He sighed.

"How are we going to keep in touch? Do you guys have a phone? Maybe we can send letters? Or... you need to get a phone. I need to hear your voice every day, every night before I have to sleep, without you by my side."

"We can't keep in touch, Serene."

The words make me jerk back to see him, to make sure he didn't actually say that. But he did.

I nodded in frustration. "Okay. So, what you're basically getting rid of me?"

"No," he says, also frustrated. "I need to take care of the sovereign first." He glances at the driver, but he's so caught up in his rock music up front. "Until I'm sure, I can't risk contact."

"What are you going to do, William? Because if you're going to put your life at risk then I will find a way to find you, even if it means getting on a boat and heading into a random direction."

"Everything will be fine. Just... give me three months."

I scoffed in disbelief. "No. That's way too long."

"I'll try for two then. I can't just make it happen, Serene. Give me time to make sure this goes perfect."

I looked away, letting out a shaky breath. "You're not going to tell me what your plan is?"

"No. I don't need you to worry about that." He takes my hands into his. "You will enjoy your time with your family."

"Is this it?" The driver asks. He lowers down the music and slows down the car until it gets to a full stop.

One glance at my house and I quickly hold on to William.

"Yes," William says somberly.

"What am I supposed to say? This is crazy. Let's just go back," I stutter, my heart racing.

William takes out a couple of bills from his coat and hands it to the driver. "Don't leave. I'll be returning."

"William," I beg.

He gets out of the cab and has to carefully pull me out. I am led to the side of my house where my room is, and William helps me climb the tree. I either slip or miss a branch a few times. He pulls me through my window, and we stumble to my bed.

"No," I say. I hug him tightly, the sobs finally escaping me.

"Serene," he choked, "We'll see each other again."

"I don't know how to believe you. You've tried getting rid of me so many times..." I trailed off, my cracked voice not allowed to disturb my sobs.

"I'm not getting rid of you." He pulls me away and makes sure I meet his gaze. "I will be back. That's a promise, I will not break."

He kisses me, the strongest kiss I've ever had from him - so desperate, trying to add the next several kisses we won't be having.

And then I feel the needle prick my shoulder.