A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 108: A Life For A Life (2)

The sun hid behind the clouds, a section of it dipped into the horizon. Gabriel threw a stone into the waters, one that traveled a long distance before he got lost in his thoughts again.

He had not only killed his own wife once but attempted to do it again. How could he ever forgive himself for this? The more he wanted to help her, the more danger he brought upon her. He could distance himself just to keep her safe but she was his wife! Leaving her alone was not the cleverest of ideas right now especially.

He picked another marble stone ready to throw it when Elena sat by his side. His brows knit together. How could he have not sensed her coming?

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" She asked, tucking the stray strands of her hair behind her ear. The simple action made Gabriel realize how much he’d missed her the last few days she was ’gone’.

He followed her line of sight to see the sun nearly submerged into the horizon. It spit it’s rays in retaliation, refusing to leave the world in darkness.

"Our kind wouldn’t say the same," he replied. To vampires, mostly the lower ones, sunset was the rise of a new day.

"What of your kind?" She asked, her eyes still cast on the setting sun.

’My kind?’ Gabriel thought. What was he? Growing up, he was fed with the lie of being a bastard, half human, which he had learned he wasn’t. He was a demon and a vampire too. A dangerous combination that upset the balance of nature in itself. It was just a matter of time before everyone found out what he truly was.

"I might be the only one," he replied. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a dark mark where he had bitten her. Curious, he focused his full attention on it.

"What is it?" Elena asked, equally curious.

"There’s a dark mark," he swallowed hard, the guilt overwhelming him afresh. "Might be a scar."

"I’m sorry," he said, tearing his gaze away from her. Being this close to her felt like a crime, one he was yet to be punished for.

"It’ll heal with time," Elena said. She watched him staring at the distance, tears stinging the brim of his eyes. He was still blaming himself for everything!

"I want you to know that whatever happened was not your fault," she said hoping it’d ease his pain, but it only made it worse.

He turned to look at her. For once, looking at her eyes felt like reading his crimes in front of a public square while he was still the executioner. He had to be the culprit!

"I killed you," he echoed his actions, the weight of his words weighing his soul down on himself. "My own wife!"

The tears he’d been fighting hard to keep at bay flowed across his cheeks.

"It’s all my fault," he said with conviction. "I did once and would’ve done it again if..." He sucked in a deep breath and looked away.

Elena moved closer, softly placing her hand on his shoulder. "You might have lost control the first time but you didn’t the second one."

"Hey?" she called, forcing him to look at her. Gabriel had never felt like a child! "It doesn’t matter what happened to me. I’m still your little cute bunny."

Indeed she was. Her eyes reminded him of the moments they shared in Eldoria. Despite the many challenges they’d faced, they always remained strong together.

"You came back for me when my brother wanted to marry me off. You gave me a life Gabriel. You gave me Mysthaven, and with it, we’re going to get Eldoria for you."

She cupped his cheeks and leaned in for a kiss. Her lips brushed lightly against his as she pried his mouth open. He was quick to return it before their tongues fought for dominance.

The kiss, initially simple, turned into a heated one that sent Elena breathless. There was something else about her that Gabriel couldn’t quite put his finger on. This dominance... Hell, he loved this version of her.

Her grip on his hair was solid, one that ended up uprooting a strand or two at the crescendo of their kiss.

Elena held the strands in her hand, completely bewildered. She had simply held his head but how did it end up to this.

"At this rate, you’re going to turn me into a bald king," Gabriel teased to break the awkward silence.

She noticed a spot of blood on his head. "You’re bleeding!" She pointed.

"It’s nothing. Will heal in a heartbeat," Gabriel assured. But the worry was still etched on her face.

"It’s not stopping," she said, and though Gabriel couldn’t trace her heartbeat, he knew her heart was racing. Another strange thing he’d noticed about her. Even her scent was different!

His fingers touched the bleeding part of his head and true to her word, the bleeding wouldn’t stop! Such a minor wound would heal in seconds normally. But this!?

A boat zoomed in from the distance just before the sun could fade out to catch both Elena’s and Gabriel’s attention. It was headed to the island.

"Are you expecting company?" Elena asked, her eyes cast on the advancing vessel.

"None that I know of," Gabriel replied. "Inform my mother, I’ll deal with this."

Elena nodded faintly before she rushed off to find Allicent. Gabriel walked down to the shore, his eyes trained on the approaching boat. From afar, he could see two people on board; a man and a woman.

He stood there for about ten minutes until the boat was close enough to identify those onboard. He recognized the woman first. She was the one who saved her from the knights by the gates when he eloped with Elena’s body.

Her face was grim, laden with sadness. If he was not wrong, the man was her husband. He pulled the boat to the shore before the woman picked something from the boat. She stepped out as Gabriel walked to meet her halfway.

"He didn’t make it past the horizon," she said when she saw Gabriel. Tears flowed across her cheeks as she cruddled the bundle tightly.

"A life for a life," the words echoed in Gabriel’s mind.