CHAPTER 27 — Waiting in the Lion's Den
ALEXIY — POV
The hallway doors slid shut behind Elion and Meso, and the moment they did…
…something in the room shifted.
Like the oxygen changed, or the air got heavier.
Everyone just stood frozen for a heartbeat or maybe two. Then—slowly—the tension cracked, and the others began to move.
But I remained standing there, staring at the direction they'd gone, feeling something tight and hot twist inside my chest.
Jealousy?
Fear?
Both?
Probably both.
She didn't want me there.
The way that strange, frightening girl had looked at me — her eyes sharp and silent, peeling me apart like she was deciding which part of me she disliked most — made my skin crawl.
But what hurt worse was the simple, cold line—
"No. This talk is not for you."
Not for me. As if I had no right to be involved in Elion's life.
As if she was saying I wasn't… On the same level.
I wasn't his 'w-wife'. I knew that, those comments he would make were just jokes... But the feelings were real. The bond was real.... And he kissed me. And held me. And let me sleep on him like it was the safest place in the universe.... Plus he drank my blood.
And now he was behind a locked door with another girl.
Another girl who looked at me like an animal trespassing on her territory.
I exhaled through my nose and forced myself to swallow the spark of panic.
Elion said he'd handle it. I trusted him. I really did. If he said the sun was going to not rise tomorrow, I'd believe it. I trusted him more than anything....
But that didn't stop the nerves. Not even a little.
Mom broke the silence.
"Well," she said, clapping her hands gently as if to pull everyone back into reality, "who wants to explore the kitchen? We should get dinner started for when they come back."
She seemed to be taking everything well. I think having the kids and Elion helped adjust her to this new normal.
Aaron immediately brightened. "Can we have pancakes?"
Sarah smiled tiredly. "Let's see what they have. Elion has most of the supplies, so we'll have to wait until he gets back..."
Lily tugged at his sleeve. "There's a TV over here. Look! Like five shelves of movies. And I have my bag full of snack while we wait for dinner!"
The two of them ran off, excited, rifling through DVDs like raccoons searching for treasure. Mom not commenting, just giving me a look full of love and wandered to the kitchen area.
The twins looked exhausted; Danny helped his sister down the hallway, toward the girls' sleeping area. "We're gonna rest for a bit," he murmured.
I nodded warmly. "Go ahead. Shower if you want — I packed some towels."
They thanked me and disappeared.
Soon, it was just me and Rea standing near that huge whiteboard covered in scribbles — maps, mana flows, zombie diagrams, weird equations, and one cartoon stick-figure with hearts around it.
Ugh. Meso drew that. Obviously.
Rea crossed her arms, staring at the map.
"You ever meet someone and just know," she said quietly, "that they're going to be a problem?"
I blinked. "You mean… Meso?"
Rea nodded once.
"Yup.... But not just her."
I let out a breath I'd been unconsciously holding.
"…Yeah."
Elion.... HIs name and face came to mind, he was an enigma I couldn't understand... but I didn't needed to.
There was a moment of silence.
Rea's eyes stayed on the map, but her voice turned softer.
"Last night… in the apartment."
My stomach tightened.
Oh no.
I looked at her carefully. "Y-yeah?"
She hesitated — which was rare for her, she was usually blunt to the point of stabbing—or shooting.
"When you… offered." Her voice dipped slightly. "You were serious?"
Heat crawled up my neck.
Oh god. That.
I took a steady breath. "Yes."
She gave a short, humorless laugh.
"I honestly thought you were joking," she admitted. "Or drunk. Or inviting me to a threesome."
"WHAT—?!"My voice cracked like I'd swallowed glass.
She smirked — just a little. "Your face is priceless."
"I–I DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" My cheeks burned. I covered them with both hands. "I'm still a virgin!"
Rea blinked. "Oh."
Then—slowly—her mouth twitched upward.
"You really are."
"Don't say it like that!" I yelped, mortified. "I just meant you'd… be part of us. The bloodline thing. Family. Not… that."
She turned back to the whiteboard, finally serious again.
"So explain it to me. Really explain it."
I swallowed.
"Well… Elion's bloodline changes people. Like it changed me. It makes you stronger, faster… and it makes you… connected." I brushed my wrist where the Fledgling Mark still tingled faintly. "And if he turns you… you'll be closer to him than anyone else. Except maybe me... It's hard to describe..."
Rea didn't look away from the map. She let me find the words.
"It's like a feeling that when he's around it's alright. Not that I mean I'm brainwashed or I let down my guard... but it's almost like I know that if something happens Elions' there so it will be okay in the end."
I could tell from Rea's face she was thinking hard.
"I don't mind the power," she murmured. "God knows we'll need it. But being part of something… permanent…"
I nodded slowly.
"You don't have to sleep with him. Or… like him. Not like that. It's like… a survival bond. A family. A team. Like how tribes formed on caveman times."
I hesitated.
Then added quietly:
"And I'm offering this because I… know I can't keep him all to myself."
Rea finally glanced at me.
"You know?" she asked. "About her?"
My throat tightened.
"…Yeah. It's obvious. I'd have to be blind to not see it."
I saw how Meso looked at him. It was possessive almost hungry. But I could also see she was relieved that he was real. Like she'd found something she lost a long time ago.
I didn't know their whole story. It was an online friendship that never met offline... But I knew love when I saw it. Even messy, unspoken love.
"I won't fight her," I whispered. "She… scares me. And she clearly loves him."
"And him?" Rea asked. "Does he love her back?"
I toyed with a strand of my hair.
"He might. I asked him once if he's had anyone special before. He said 'It's complicated.'"
Rea hummed thoughtfully.
"Well," she said, "at least he doesn't belong to her either."
I nodded slowly. It was a small comfort, barely any.
But…
"But he won't abandon me," I whispered. "He'll never do that. No matter who else comes along. I know that."
Rea's expression softened."That," she said, "I believe."
Silence settled between us again — not uncomfortable, but heavy with unspoken worries.
Finally she sighed.
"I need more time," she said. "To think about your offer. To think about… all of this."
"Take as long as you want, we're not planning on leaving anytime soon." I said gently.
She nodded and walked off toward the rooms, probably to shower, her footfalls echoing lightly down the metal hallway.
I stayed alone by the whiteboard, staring at the scribbles.
"Meso's territory."
"Mana surge levels."
"Zombie mutation patterns."
She was brilliant.
And it was terrifying.
I could tell she was deeply, painfully in love with Elion.
I wrapped my arms around myself, pressing my lips together.
She looked at me earlier like I was stealing something from her.
Like she wanted to kill me.
But Elion said she wouldn't. He said she was safe. He said he would handle it. So I forced myself to stop thinking about it. I sat on the couch and waited for him.
Aaron stuck a DVD into the player, and bright colors filled the screen.
"SHREK!" he yelled happily.
Lily fist-pumped. "Finally, something normal!"
They sprawled out on the carpet, giggling over jokes they'd probably seen a hundred times.
Mom had started rummaging through the cabinets and fridge — finding neatly labeled jars, vacuum-sealed packs, dehydrated meat, massive filtered-water jugs, sealed rice tubs, even a stack of canned goods arranged by color.
She shook her head, impressed. "This place is more stocked than a grocery store."
I turned to look at her. She gave me a soft, knowing smile.
"You alright, sweetheart?"
"…I think so," I lied.
She didn't call me out for it. She just kept cooking, humming softly. Trying to continue this charade of normalcy before the cruel reality faced us again with a new challenge.
Danny returned briefly, fetching some water and crackers for Delilah before heading back to their room.
Rea passed by with damp hair, smelling faintly of peach shampoo.
Everyone had their way of coping.
Everyone was settling in.
And I just… sat.
Hands clasped.
Knees pulled close.
Staring at the hallway Elion had disappeared into.
Waiting.
Waiting for the only person who made the apocalypse feel survivable.
Waiting for warmth.
Waiting for him.
Time passed.
The twins in their room, and Aaron and Lily quoting the lines of the movie while eating snacks. Mom had started to cook, the kitchen full of scents and noise. Rea was cleaning her gun at the table quietly.
And I sat still.
The room felt strange without him. It was too big, too empty. A quiet seemed to fill the room, beneath the noise.
My thoughts spiraled, even though I tried not to think about the situation.
Would Meso try to take him away from me?
Would she try to kill me so she can stake her claim?
Would he let her?
Would I have to share him?
Would I lose him If I don't?
My chest tightened painfully, and I pressed my palm against it.
"I trust you," I whispered to myself. Because I did trust him. More than anything.
But that didn't make the fear disappear.
It just made it bearable.
Eventually, Lily flopped onto the couch beside me.
"You okay?" she asked, half-whisper, half-serious for once.
I nodded.
She smirked.
"No, you're not."
"Lily…"
She nudged my shoulder.
"Relax. He's not gonna cheat. He's just… uh…" She wiggled her eyebrows dramatically. "…meeting the final boss of girlfriends."
I groaned. "Stop…"
"She's scary," Lily whispered. "...But you're scarier."
"…Me?"
"Oh yeah," Lily nodded. "If someone hurt him, you'd murder them with a teaspoon. I can tell."
My face went hot.
Before I could respond—
The automatic doors made a soft chime in the distance.
And a moment later—
Footsteps.
Two sets.
One light. One heavier.
My breath caught, and everyone in the room turned to look at the pair of doors that had remained closed.
The hallway lights glowed dimly as two shadows grew longer.
They were back.
Finally.
I stood.
My heart hammered.
He was back.
Elion.
And…
Her.
I swallowed hard.
Whatever happened in that room… Whatever they talked about… Whatever she said... Whatever he did…
I would face it.
Even if it meant sharing him. Even if it meant clinging to him a little tighter. Even if it meant dealing with a girl who could probably kill me with a spoon.
He was mine, too.
And I wasn't letting go.
Not now. Not ever.
I straightened myself, smoothing my hoodie, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Elion had stepped into view first — looking tired but… lighter. As if something heavy had settled instead of tightened.
And behind him… Meso.
Her eyes were less sharp, and her expression unreadable. But She felt calmer. Her hand still holding Elion's as he walked to the living to the room, then he looking at me and smiled.
It was one of those smiles that said everything. I knew that his smiled said. "It's okay, trust me."
I do trust you Elion.