The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged (39 page)

Anna smiled softly. “Then I must thank him
doubly the next time I see him.” Alex frowned, making Anna giggle.
“I just meant to give him a sincere thank you, not a mind-blowing
blowjob.” She giggled again. “Will you be this possessive
forever?”

“
Ja
.”

She grinned. “I don’t mind at all.”

Alex felt very different walking into the
theater today as opposed to the day before. Today he was holding
Anna’s hand: her right hand with her wedding ring back in its
proper place. She had even given him his ring back that she’d been
given when she was told he was dead.

Vitaly had yanked it off his finger, telling
him that he would send it to Anna so she’d know he was dead. The
tears in her eyes when she’d put it back on his finger showed him
how difficult that had been for her. Its heavy weight was
comforting and he would never, ever take it off again.

Anna was shaking slightly as they walked
through the backstage area and he squeezed her hand gently. She was
nervous about what her friends would think about her and Alex being
together. Especially since she hadn’t told anyone that her
engagement with Kurt had been called off. It was never supposed to
be a real engagement, only for her to have some security while Alex
was taking care of things. It hadn’t worked out the way it was
supposed to.

They walked into the wings and Anna stopped,
looking out onto the stage from the shadows at her friends. Aaron
hadn’t been home this morning when they’d gone to her
apartment.

“Ready?” he asked gently, squeezing her hand
again.

She took a deep breath and nodded. “At least,
I think so.”

He kissed her soundly and then walked out to
the audience area with Seth while she made her way to the stage.
The bright smile on her face made his heart melt, knowing he had at
least something to do with that. She certainly had something to do
with the smile on his own face.

Greg and Tony had the day off. He decided he
didn’t need to walk around with three armed men. If there was
trouble, they were only a few blocks away. Few people knew he was
alive, no one would come looking for him.

Vincent saw him and walked over to greet him.
“You look happy this morning,” he commented with a smile.

Alex couldn’t keep the grin from spreading
across his face and he shrugged sheepishly. “I am.”

Vincent’s brow raised high. “Would it be
impertinent to ask why?”

Alex chuckled and nodded in Anna’s direction.
“Look at her hands.”

“Katrina?” Vincent gave him a strange look
and then squinted.

It was difficult not to notice the sparkles
on her left hand. She wore several karats of high quality diamonds
on that left ring finger.

“That’s not her engagement ring, is it?”

“It is. It’s her real engagement ring. And
wedding ring.”

Vincent squinted again. “She is wearing the
other ring she wore when she arrived....” He glanced at Alex. “She
got married?”

“She’s been married. She is my wife and has
been for almost five years.”

Vincent stared at him. “Wait, I thought...you
were supposed to be dead.”

“Yes. I was, but I’m not. She was told I was
dead, as was everyone else. Aaron, too.” Alex smiled as he glanced
at his friend stretching on stage. “You’ve met Devin Andersen?”

Vincent’s face turned dark. “Unfortunately,
yes.”

“He had me taken so that he could have Anna
to himself. The reason she came here was so that we could be
reunited and I could...take care of Devin.” It was nowhere close to
the whole story, but Vincent needed to stay ignorant of the
details.

Vincent studied Anna for a long minute. “She
seems...lighter than I’ve ever seen her.” He smiled affectionately
at her. “She’s practically glowing.”

“Anna in love is the most beautiful sight
I’ve ever seen,” Alex said softly, gazing at his beloved.

“I can’t disagree with that.” He turned his
smile to Alex. “You can keep her safe?”

Alex nodded solemnly. “When Devin came here a
few weeks ago, I kept him from finding her.”

“Good.”

They chatted for a few more minutes and then
Vincent went onstage to speak to his assistant. Alex settled into
the seat next to Seth. He gazed at Anna as she moved into position
and began the warm-ups. God, he loved that woman! “How am I going
to leave her to go out on another job, Seth?”

Aaron could tell, just by looking at her,
that Anna and Alex had gotten back together. She radiated
happiness, which made her even more unbelievably beautiful. He
would see the straight guys watching her from time to time, she was
so fucking sexy, but today, they almost couldn’t take their eyes
off her.

‘Course, the sparkling left hand also made it
painfully obvious that she and Alex were together again.

Hugo walked up to him with a resigned look on
his face. “If I were a selfish man, I would be angry,” he said in a
quiet voice, looking at her with longing in his eyes.

Aaron’s heart went out to him. He knew
exactly how Hugo felt. “It’s not easy getting over her.”

“Did you get over her?”

He shook his head. “I still love her.” He
gave Hugo a lopsided grin. “I gave up trying to find someone like
her.”

“Are you saying I should give up and try
playing for the other team?”

Aaron laughed. “Have you ever had any
inclination towards that?”

Hugo shook his head and grinned. “Never been
attracted to men.”

“There’s some nice girls out there,” Aaron
said encouragingly. “There’s not another Katrina, but...there
couldn’t be.”

Hugo stiffened and Aaron followed his gaze to
where Jasmine had just come out on stage. A few people that had
been out with them gave her dirty looks, but she didn’t seem to
notice. She had a slight smile on her face and she
looked...happy?

Aaron instantly searched out Alex and stormed
over to him. “Did you fucking sleep with Jasmine?”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Why the hell would you
ask me a question like that? Of course not.”

Aaron motioned up to the stage where Jasmine
was sitting quietly and changing shoes. “Why is she...happy?”

“Did you know that her father was an
alcoholic?” Alex asked calmly.

“What? I...no.” What the fuck did that have
to do with anything?

“He was very neglectful and emotionally
abusive.”

Aaron gave Alex a look. “What the hell does
that have to do with anything? And how do you know?”

“Sebastian and I were going to erase her
memories of Devin to eliminate the threat for Anna, but when we
began to do so, we saw the hurt that caused her to act the way she
does.” Alex smiled. “Sebastian healed her.”

Aaron stared at Alex for a long moment and
then turned to look at Jasmine, who was talking to Anna with a kind
expression on her face. She was definitely different today. “He can
do that?”

“Immortals can do all sorts of things.”

Anna hugged Jasmine and gave her a friendly
smile and Jasmine looked...sincerely happy. He'd never seen that
woman look that way.

“Give her a chance, Aaron. If you do, the
others will. She acted out from her past hurts.”

Aaron made a face. “Fine.”

Anna looked around with a hint of nostalgia
at her empty room. She would miss living with Aaron, but Alex being
alive changed so many things. All for the good.

The movers had come as soon as she arrived
back at the apartment after rehearsal. They’d helped her pack and
were delivering her items as she stood there. Alex was out in the
other room talking to Aaron, giving her a few minutes to
herself.

Her friends in the company had been very
supportive of her relationship with Alex, especially when they
found out that Alex was the person who could keep Devin away from
her. Everyone knew who Devin was and more than one said that they
never wanted him to visit again.

Jasmine had been a big surprise this morning.
Anna could see that something was different about her. She seemed
more peaceful. When she came to apologize to Anna for her behavior,
she seemed genuinely sincere. Not like before. Anna would still be
a little wary around her, though.

Tonight she had to face Wilhelm and Kurt. She
wasn’t looking forward to that. For one, she and Alex hadn’t had
much time alone. She still hadn’t heard how he had escaped or what
he’d gone through while he was captured. She didn’t know what would
happen between now and Tyler’s funeral.

“Anna?” Alex walked into the room and gave
her a bright smile. “Ready?” He glanced over to the window with a
slight smile on his face.

Anna followed his gaze and realized he was
looking at the spot where he’d appeared to her in her dream. Or
rather.... “That wasn’t a dream, was it?” she asked. “When I
dreamed of you.”

Alex looked a little ashamed. “No. Sebastian
helped me. I...I couldn’t let you get too involved with Hugo. I
knew I was returning soon, and—”

“You came to keep me from getting too close
to Hugo?” Anna gave him a bewildered look. “That’s why you came?
You were jealous?”

Alex saw that Anna was upset about why he’d
come to her, but he couldn’t have
not
come. He thought
back to that afternoon...

“She has a what?” Alex exclaimed loudly.
Vati had just told him about Anna killing her guardian, which to be
honest, was a little frightening. Then Vati told him that she now
had a boyfriend. That was more disturbing than the thought of Anna
committing murder. At least Jack deserved it.

Vati gave him a sympathetic look. “I
know, Alex. Tom says he’s a good guy—”

“That’s my wife!” Alex shouted. He
studied his father for a moment. Something about his expression
made him wonder what else happened. “What aren’t you telling
me?”

Wilhelm sighed. “Tom said that she’s
taken off her wedding ring.”

Alex stared at his father as his heart
broke. She’d moved on. She’d given up on him. He looked down at his
right hand and twisted the ring that he’d worn for so long. He
shook his head and left his father’s study without saying another
word.

He found himself in the rose garden a few
minutes later. He sat down hard on the cement bench and stared at
the ground, twisting his ring on his finger.

Was he being selfish? Should he just let
her go? If she found a man who would take care of her—

“No!” he exclaimed. He wouldn’t give up
on her without a fight. He’d come too many miles to give up so
easily. What would happen if Devin found her? This other man
wouldn’t be able to protect her. He would likely get killed. Then
she would be even worse off.

No, he had to convince her to return to
him. He had to! But how?

He heard a movement behind him and turned
to find Sebastian walking towards him.

“I heard what happened,” Sebastian said
as he stopped in front of him. “She’s strong, Alex. She’ll be
okay.”

“She has a boyfriend,” he
growled.

“Ah. They’ve become serious.”

Alex shook his head. “I should have gone
back already.”

“You can’t Alex. You’re not ready. Soon.
You have to be patient.”

“What if he falls in love with her? What
if she falls in love with him?” He looked up at his friend. “I need
to talk to her, but she doesn’t dream of me anymore....”

Sebastian looked troubled. “I
know.”

“You know she shouldn’t be with
him?”

The Immortal nodded. “He won’t be able to
protect her.”

“Then what can I do? Can I make her dream
of me? Can you make her dream of me?” The look on Sebastian’s face
made his heart pound. “It’s possible?”

Sebastian pressed his lips together. “I’m
not supposed to do that sort of thing.”

“But you can?”

“I could with an Elder. It’s possible. I
can’t teleport you. You don’t have any Immortal in you.”

Alex cocked his brow. “What?”

“When Elders become Elders, they...we
imbue them with a bit of ourselves. That’s why you become an Elder
the way you do.” He paused and looked thoughtful. “It would give
you the ability to protect her,” he said softly. “I need to speak
to your father.”

Sebastian disappeared suddenly and Alex
sighed. How could he get through to Anna?

Wilhelm sat back in his study and
listened to Sebastian explain his thoughts on giving Alex a share
of Immortal essence.

“I won’t do it unless you are all right
with it, Wilhelm. I know my brothers won’t approve, but I’m most
concerned, at this point, of offending you. Your son would have
some Elder abilities.”

“Is there anything dangerous about
it?”

Sebastian shook his head. “Not unless you
are concerned about him challenging your leadership.”

Wilhelm chuckled. “No. I know my son
respects me.”

“I agree. I trust him completely.”
Sebastian chewed his lip for a moment. “I think it would also be
helpful when he confronts Devin.”

Wilhelm tilted his head. “Would he be
more of Devin’s match?”

“I believe so. Nothing like this has ever
happened before, but it seems logical. Unless Devin’s other Elders
band together with him against Alex.”

“Then maybe we need to remove those other
Elders.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. “That
would not be a decision I am allowed to be involved with. That is a
human decision.” He smiled. “I’m sure a certain assassin wouldn’t
mind getting some revenge on men who have hurt his wife, though.”
He stood and nodded respectfully before disappearing.