150

Ian's POV

As I stepped through the portal back into the human realm, my heart was pounding in my chest. The news of Aldric's death still sat heavily on my mind, but right now, my priority was Sophia. I had to see her, to make sure she was safe. I couldn't afford to lose her, not after everything we had been through. The fear gnawed at me-fear that she could be next.

The air in the human realm was different-lighter, calmer-but my thoughts were anything but. As I made my way to the condo where Sophia and I had been staying, I felt the weight of my responsibilities in both worlds pressing down on me. My realm was crumbling, and Aldric's death had only been the beginning of a larger scheme I hadn't yet unraveled. But Sophia-she was my anchor, the one person who kept me grounded through it all.

When I reached the door, I paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. My hands were still shaking from the adrenaline of what had happened, but I couldn't let her see that. She had already been through enough. Slowly, I pushed the door open.

Sophia was sitting on the couch, her eyes drifting over a book, but I could tell she wasn't really reading. She looked up the second I entered the room, her face lighting up with relief, and in that moment, everything else faded away. It was just her.

"Ian," she whispered, standing up and crossing the room in a few quick strides. "You're back."

I didn't say anything at first-I couldn't. I just wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tightly against my chest. Feeling her there, warm and alive, was enough to make my racing thoughts slow for the first time in hours. She buried her face in my chest, her arms wrapping around me like she was afraid to let go.

"I'm here," I murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

We stayed like that for a long moment, neither of us speaking, just holding each other. I could feel her heartbeat against mine, steady and strong, and it calmed something deep inside me. The fear that had gripped me ever since Aldric's body had been found slowly started to ease, but the worry wasn't gone. It never would be, not as long as she remained in danger.

"Ian," Sophia finally said, her voice soft but full of concern. She pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me, her blue eyes searching mine. "What's going on? You've been gone for hours, and I know something's wrong. I can see it in your face."

I let out a long breath, my hand cupping her cheek. I didn't want to burden her with the details, but she deserved to know the truth. I couldn't hide things from her, not after the last time. Not anymore. I had promised her that I would always tell her the truth and I had to keep to that promise.

"Something happened in the realm," I said, my voice low and steady, even though I felt anything but calm. "Aldric... one of the council members... he's dead. Murdered. They found his body in the woods, but... he was in a meeting with us earlier that day. Whoever's behind this is dangerous, and we don't know who we can trust anymore."

Her eyes widened, her hand gripping my arm tightly. "But you're okay?"

I nodded, though the truth was far more complicated than that. "I'm okay, physically. But things are... falling apart. The realm isn't safe right now. That's why I came back-to make sure you were safe."

She swallowed, her gaze shifting downward. "Do you think... whoever's behind this will come after me? Or our baby?"

My heart clenched at the mention of our unborn child. I hadn't thought about it in those exact terms, but she was right. Whoever had killed Aldric was powerful and dangerous, and there was no telling what their next move would be. If they knew about Sophia, about our child...

"I won't let that happen," I said, my voice firm as I cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "I swear to you, Sophia, I will protect you both. No one will touch you. Not here, not in the realm. I'll keep you safe."

She nodded, though I could see the fear in her eyes. It was the same fear I felt every time I left her side. I knew it was irrational, but part of me always worried that the next time I saw her might be the last. This world, the vampire realm, even the human world-they were full of dangers I couldn't always predict.

"I love you, Sophia," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper as I leaned down to kiss her. "I love you more than anything in this world, or any other. I need you to know that. I need you to feel it."

She kissed me back, her lips soft and warm against mine, and in that moment, all the fear and danger faded into the background. It was just the two of us, standing together, holding on to each other. She was my everything-my reason for fighting, for keeping the realm together, for pushing back against whatever dark force was trying to tear us apart.

When we finally broke the kiss, I rested my forehead against hers, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "I'm sorry I can't always be here with you. But I swear, I'll do everything I can to protect you."

"I know," she whispered back, her hand running through my hair. "I know you will. And I love you too, Ian. I just... I'm scared. For the baby, for you, for everything."

I opened my eyes and met her gaze, my heart breaking at the vulnerability in her expression. "You don't have to be scared. Not as long as I'm here."

"I know," she repeated, her voice a little stronger this time. "But I can't help it. It feels like... like there's always something coming for us. No matter what we do, there's always some new threat, some new danger."

I couldn't deny it. She was right. But I couldn't let that fear control us. I had to be stronger, for both of us. "We'll get through this," I said firmly. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

She nodded again, and I pulled her into my arms once more, holding her tightly as if I could shield her from all the darkness in the world.

The condo felt quiet and still around us, but I knew that beyond these walls, the chaos was still waiting. But for now, in this moment, all that mattered was that Sophia was safe.

And I would keep it that way-no matter the cost.