The Life of Anna, Part 3: Embraced (16 page)

“Yeah,” Seth said, without looking at
him.

Anna felt shaky, but she felt better rested
than she had in weeks. It amazed her how well she had slept on an
airplane.

“There are toothbrushes in the bathroom if
you would like to brush your teeth,” Inga said softly.

Anna looked up and gave her a grateful smile.
“Yeah. I think that would be good.”

Seth helped her to her feet and made sure she
made it to the bathroom. When Anna emerged fifteen minutes later,
she felt human again. She had even put on some makeup that had been
in a little kit she’d received after boarding the plane.

Seth looked up and smiled when he saw her.
“There’s my pretty girl. You look much better.”

Anna blushed. “I feel much better.” She
walked back to her seat, which had been brought back to the seated
position.

“Would you like something to eat?” Inga asked
after Anna sat down.

Anna nodded. “Yes, please. I’m hungry.” For
the first time in a long while.

*****

Alex jumped as his phone buzzed in his
pocket. It was a text from Greg. He hurriedly pushed the screen to
read the message.

Anna’s sick. She threw up, but seems okay
now.

Alex frowned at his phone. “Vati, can
half-Immortals get sick?” He looked at his father.

Vati looked thoughtful for a moment. “Not
that I’m aware. Unless they’re away from their home for too long.
Why?”

“Seth told me that Anna hadn’t been feeling
well and not eating. I just got a text from Greg saying that she
got sick on the plane. I didn’t think they got sick either.”

Vati frowned. “That
is
odd. She’s
only been gone for less than a day and she’s coming to you. She
shouldn’t be vulnerable. But she’s been under an enormous amount of
stress lately. Maybe the human part of her is succumbing to the
stress. I can have Heinrich come take a look at her if she’s still
not feeling well tomorrow.” Heinrich was Alex’s uncle and a
doctor.

“All right.” Alex stared out into the dark
night. Poor Anna. Being sick was no fun. He hoped that she would
let him comfort her.

*****

After Anna ate, she felt better. The plane
began to descend and she gripped her armrests. Seth reached over
and patted her hand, but she didn’t relax until they were on the
ground and moving at a much slower pace. When the plane came to a
stop, she looked out the window.

“Where’s the terminal?” she asked Seth.

Seth looked out the window. “Looks like we’re
deplaning out here. There aren’t that many gates at this airport.
Don't worry. We’ll take a nice van to the terminal. I think it’s
actually faster to do it this way.”

The moment Anna stepped out into the open
air, she shrieked. “Omigod! It’s so cold!” She hugged her coat
around her and hunched over.

Seth chuckled. “Thirty seconds Anna, then
we’ll be in a nice warm van.”

Greg climbed into the van first and Anna
followed him to the back and sat next to him. Seth sat on the other
side of her. When all the seats were full, the van drove off
towards the large, lit building that Anna supposed was the
terminal.

Anna’s nausea returned as she realized she
was minutes away from seeing Alex. She swallowed several times and
tried to breathe deeply.

*****

Alex paced as his parents watched him. He
knew they found him amusing tonight, but he didn’t care. The flight
had arrived and now it was just a matter of the travelers getting
through Customs.

He ignored the women who tried to get his
attention. He and his family were well known here; women
practically threw themselves at him. A few years ago, he loved it.
Now it just irritated him. He only wanted one woman and she was
finally in the same building he was.

Tony stood nearby, his posture that of an
intimidating watcher, but Alex could see the amusement in his
eyes.

“I’m glad I’m so entertaining tonight,” he
commented dryly to Tony and his parents.

“Oh, Alex, I think it’s adorable,” his mother
said with a smile.

Alex rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Alex.”

Alex turned to see Tony nodding toward the
opening across the walkway.

Greg and Seth stood there looking around,
with Anna in between them. She looked so small and delicate in
between their large frames. A man in an airport uniform waited
behind them with a trolley full of luggage. Anna’s mostly, he
assumed. Matching blue luggage.

Greg and Seth saw him at the same time and
nodded. Seth bent down to say something to Anna. She looked across
to where Alex stood and her eyes widened. Alex’s shoulders slumped
as she stepped behind Seth to hide.

“Give her a minute, Alex,” Vati said softly,
coming to his side. “She’s frightened, not angry. Be gentle.”

Seth put his arm around Anna’s shoulders, and
the three of them made their way through the crowd to where Alex
and his family waited.

Alex greeted Greg and Seth and stood as
patiently as he could, trying to decide the best way to approach
Anna. He could see her clearly now. She was thinner than she’d been
in August. Her face was pale beneath her lightly applied makeup.
She fidgeted, twisting her fingers together, and stared at the
ground.

Vati approached her first. “Hello, Anna,” he
said in a soft voice.

Anna looked up at him and smiled. “Hello,
Wilhelm,” she said quietly.

He opened his arms and Anna hugged him
willingly.

Alex’s heart tightened in his chest.

“How was your flight?” Vati asked, holding
her head to his chest. Alex glanced at his mother, who was studying
Anna.

“I slept almost the whole way over. So I
guess that’s a good thing.”

Vati chuckled and released her. “Anna, I
would like to introduce you to my wife, Ilsa. Ilsa, this is
Anna.”

Alex’s mother gave Anna a warm, friendly
smile. Mutti was a tall, elegant woman with dark blonde hair and
dove-gray eyes. She wore a simple black skirt, a red sweater, and
knee-high black leather boots.

“Anna, it is wonderful to meet you at last,”
she said in heavily accented English. “I have heard so many
wonderful things about you.”

Anna gave her a timid smile. “Hello,” she
said in a voice he could hardly hear.

Alex’s heart pounded as he stepped forward.
“Hello, Schatzi,” he said in as gentle a voice as he could. He
hoped his use of the endearment would help her not be
frightened.

Anna turned to face Alex. Her breath caught
in her throat as she looked up into his handsome face. Once again,
she’d managed to forget how tall and broad he was. His hair looked
like he’d just gotten it cut. She looked at his lips and remembered
what it was like to kiss them. Firm, yet soft. They were upturned
in a nervous smile. What could he possibly be nervous about?

He had called her
Schatzi
. His
treasure. She searched his cobalt-blue eyes, but saw no trace of
anger in them. Why wasn’t he angry with her for the way she had
treated him? He had gotten angry with her the last time he’d
called. Wouldn’t he punish her for her behavior?

“I’m sorry, Alex,” she said, and bowed her
head in submission.

He stepped forward and she winced in
anticipation of some sort of punishment. He cupped her chin and
lifted her face to his again.

“For what?” he asked softly.

“For being disrespectful and disobedient. I’m
ready for my punishment.” Tears filled her eyes, but she was
determined to be brave.

He grimaced and released her chin. But
instead of hitting her, he took her hand and led her to a nearby
bench.

“Lift up your hair.”

Anna did as he asked, confused. He reached
behind her neck. His fingers tickled her neck as he moved them, and
a moment later he moved his hands away. He had removed her
necklace.

Her chin trembled and she bit her lip and
tried not to cry. He
was
angry with her. She glanced at
Wilhelm, who was watching impassively. She looked back at Alex with
tears in her eyes.

He took off the bracelet he’d given her as
well. He handed the jewelry to Tony who put it in a plastic box,
which he then slid into his pocket.

Anna’s heart twisted in her chest and her
nausea returned. He had removed her protection! He was leaving her
vulnerable to anyone who wanted to hurt her. She looked down at her
hands and tried to swallow over the lump in her throat.

“Anna, as long as you are here, I don’t want
you to think of yourself as my slave,” Alex said in a quiet voice.
“I want you to think of yourself simply as ‘Anna.’”

Anna looked at him, confused. He didn’t want
her here as his slave? “Then why did you bring me here?”

His eyes grew sorrowful. “Because I missed
you and I wanted to see you.” He smiled. “And I want you to see
where I grew up.”

“You missed me?” She blinked in
confusion.

“Terribly.” He took her hand and held it in
his.

Gazing into his eyes reminded her of the last
night they had spent together. And then he left her. Her fear gave
way to deep sorrow.

“Why did you leave me?” she whispered,
desperation filling her eyes with tears.

Alex pulled her close. “Oh,
mein
Schatzi
. I regretted every day that I had to leave you.” He
cupped her cheek. “But I had to do so. I had to learn how to be
strong enough to fight for you.” Anna could see tears in his eyes
that mirrored her own. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs,
wiping away the tears that fell.

“You
are
strong,” she insisted.

“Not in the way I needed to be.” He sighed.
“Anna…I know I hurt you by leaving,” he said in a hushed voice.
“But when I stayed…Devin made me hurt you that night. He drugged me
and made me hurt you. I couldn’t let him do that to us again.” His
eyes grew brighter. “But I can fight for you now,
Schatzi
.
I haven’t learned everything I need to know, but I’ve learned a
lot.” He spoke urgently. “I can keep Devin from hurting you.”

“How? He’s so powerful. Much more so than he
was before.”

“What do you mean, Anna?” Wilhelm asked.

She looked up at Wilhelm. “They did something
at the August Gathering. They call him the Chairman now.”

Wilhelm’s face paled. “Are you sure?”

Anna nodded.

Wilhelm looked around. “I think we need to
get going.”

“Did I say something wrong?” Anna asked
nervously.

Wilhelm smiled kindly. “
Nein
, Anna.
Not at all. It is not a good idea to speak of these kinds of things
out in public. We will talk about it later.” He turned to Ilsa and
put his arm around her. Anna winced at the affectionate look he
gave his wife.

“I won’t leave you again, Anna,” Alex said in
a low voice.

She looked back at him and he looked at her
with such intensity she wanted to look away, but she couldn’t drag
her eyes away from his.

She swallowed nervously and then concentrated
so she could read him. He meant it. And he meant it differently
than just as a Master. He meant it…as a lover? But…he’d been so
cold to her when he’d visited. And he’d not contacted her when bad
things happened. How could the emotions that she was sensing from
him be so strong?

“Why were you so cold to me?” she asked
softly.

His eyes darkened. “I had to, Anna. I had to
let Devin think I didn’t care about you. As I had to when we first
met. My leaving made Devin think I was done with you and he let me
alone.” His brows twitched. “I don’t have to do that anymore,
Schatzi
. I won’t ever do it again.”

She could sense his sincerity, and his
determination was overwhelming. He would protect her at
any
cost. He loved her.

The spark that had been kindled the first
night they had spent together burst into flame again in her heart.
Sitting here next to him for the first time in months was like
coming home. She was connected to him unlike anyone else. Even
Devin. Especially Devin. And Devin couldn’t take him away. Alex
wasn’t vulnerable to Devin like other men were. He was the one
person Devin couldn’t hurt.

Anna nodded slowly. “Yes, Alex,” she said
softly. She reached up and cradled his cheek with her hand.

His eyes widened slightly and they filled
with such emotion it filled her heart with joy. He slid his hand
behind her head and leaned down to brush his lips against hers.

“
Mein
Anna,” he murmured before
crushing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. He held her
tightly and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She had come home. Kissing Alex was more than
just their lips meeting. Her soul reached out for his when they
touched. The hurts and fears of the past few months melted away as
he held her close, sheltering her from the world. He could protect
her and he would protect her. Of this she was certain.

*****

A little while later, Anna snuggled against
Alex in the limo as it weaved its way north through the streets of
Frankfurt. Seth, Tony and Greg were relaxing towards the front of
the limo and Anna and Alex sat near the back seat where his parents
were. Alex pointed out various buildings, but it was hard to see
them in the dark. There was a light sprinkling of snow across the
city that sparkled in the lights.

“Are you warm enough,
Schatzi
?”

“Next to you, yes.” She snuggled closer.

“
Mutti
, can we keep the house cool
while she’s here?” Alex asked with a laugh.

“It will probably be cool enough from her
point of view, Alex,” Ilsa answered, shaking her head in
amusement.

“How far away is your house?”

Alex chuckled. “About twenty more minutes
from here.”

The number of lights became fewer as they
drove on and eventually there were hardly any lights at all. The
moonlight made the snow sparkle like diamonds. She saw the shadows
of mountains up ahead and the limo drove upwards on a winding road
through a dense forest. They drove by a lake and up above it in the
distance she saw sparkling lights.