Chapter 134: Meeting Soren

After a quick, refreshing bath in the pool, Alyssa slipped into the pair of shorts and t-shirts Dorian had brought along.

When she had asked him earlier if he had brought another change of clothes for them, he had simply shaken his head, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint.

"Why on earth would we need extra clothes when I intend to have you naked for most of our time here?"

His bold answer had sent a deep, burning blush flushing across her cheeks. And when he flashed her that rare, breathtaking smile, her heart had practically skipped a beat.

In that sweet moment, nothing else mattered except her husband; the man she had hopelessly fallen in love with. Hand in hand, she followed him out of the cave into the afternoon sunlight.

The surrounding landscape was completely unfamiliar. Towering trees reached toward the sky, and massive, jagged mountains surrounded the secluded valley like slumbering stone giants.

Dorian led her up a steep heel. But when the slope grew too rough for her bare feet, he leaned down without a word and lifted her into his arms.

"Where are you taking me, Dorian?" she giggled as she looped her arms around his neck.

"We’re almost there," he smiled, cradling her close. "I want to show you my favorite place in the territory, and introduce you to someone too."

Her eyebrows shot up in curiosity. "Who?"

Dorian chuckled, his chest rumbling pleasantly. "Well, you’ve already met Shadow and ridden him back in Ashgard. Now, it’s time you meet Soren."

Her eyes widened in realization. "Your demon?"

"Yes. He’s the one who carried you out of the mansion last night. He flew with you through the clouds."

Alyssa gasped softly, a look of pure wonder washing over her face. "We flew? Oh, I wish I had been awake to witness it."

"You don’t have to wish," Dorian promised, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Because you’re going to experience it again. We are going to fly together."

Alyssa couldn’t suppress the burst of excitement bubbling in her chest. "Dorian, tell me you aren’t teasing me."

"I’m not," he laughed, continuing up the rocky path. "I think it’s long overdue that you two meet properly. He has been dormant for years, never surfacing, never showing the slightest sign that he wanted to be let out."

"What made him change his mind now?"

Dorian stopped walking for a second, his eyes locking onto hers with a smile that made her throat go dry. "You. That night we spent in Iridian was the very first time he woke up."

Alyssa beamed, her heart soaring as she kicked her feet in pure joy. "I can’t wait to meet him. Is he anything like Shadow?"

"Soren has a mind entirely his own," Dorian explained as he resumed his steady pace. "Unlike Shadow, I can’t always control him. He has his own thoughts, and he likes to keep them hidden from me."

"He sounds fascinating."

Dorian chuckled as he crested the top of the hill and stepped out onto a rocky ledge. "He is. And he is obsessed with you. Both of them are."

"Really?" Her face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Why?"

He gave her a slow, sideways glance, a cocky smirk spreading across his lips. "Well, I’m obsessed with you, and you know it. But are you going to ask me why?"

She let out a bright, musical laugh, shaking her head. "No. Because you love me."

"I do love you," he murmured, his voice dropping into a thick, emotional rasp. "I love you so much it hurts. I am madly obsessed with you, and my emotions naturally reflect onto Shadow and Soren. Though Soren tends to go entirely wild whenever he’s close to you."

Alyssa laughed again, thoroughly enjoying the talk. Seeing her so lighthearted, radiant, and happy after the horror of the previous night filled Dorian’s chest with an overwhelming sense of peace.

"My love, I know everything has been chaotic lately. And it has placed an unimaginable weight on your shoulders. But I need you to remember that you have me. You will always have me to lean on. You never have to face any of this alone again."

Her lips trembled softly as she tried to hold his intense gaze. The devotion and yearning burning in his eyes sent a frantic swarm of butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"That’s why I brought you here," he continued. "Away from everything. Just the two of us for a few days. I wanted my Alyssa back, the woman I met at Iridian. The woman I fell deeply in love with."

"Oh, Dorian," Alyssa whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "What would I do without you?"

He grinned, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips. "You’ll never have to find out. Now, are you ready?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

"You have to close your eyes." He carefully set her down on her feet, taking both of her hands in his.

Alyssa obliged immediately, shutting her eyes tight as she let him guide her forward step by step.

"Don’t peek," he warned playfully.

"I won’t."

From the rough earth beneath her bare feet and the sharp mountain wind against her skin, she deduced he was leading her toward a cliff. The mountain air was fresh and clean, whipping her hair around her face.

She held Dorian’s hands tightly, a soft laugh bubbling up her throat as her anticipation heightened.

"Alright," he murmured near her ear. "We’re here. Open your eyes."

She slowly fluttered her eyelashes open, and the staggering view before her left her completely breathless.

They were standing at the edge of a towering cliff, suspended high above the world. Below them lay endless stretches of lush forests, valleys, and distant buildings.

Far off in the horizon, she could just make out the outline of their estate.

"Goddess above," she breathed, taking a cautious step toward the edge. "It’s breathtaking, Dorian."

"It’s called Winter’s Peak," he murmured softly. "The highest cliff in all of Wintercrest."

"I always knew Wintercrest was vast, but seeing it like this... it’s unbelievable. It’s so beautiful."

"Yes," Dorian agreed quietly. But his eyes weren’t looking at the sweeping kingdom below. They were fixed on her radiant face. "It truly is beautiful."

Alyssa turned her head to look at him, her blue eyes searching his handsome face.

"This place holds deep meaning for you, doesn’t it?" she asked gently. "I can see it in your eyes. That’s why you brought me here."

In truth, it was the exact opposite. This very cliff was where Elvira had jumped to her death years ago. For years, Dorian had avoided this peak like a plague, haunted by the ghost of that tragedy.

But he had brought Alyssa here to burn away those old memories. He refused to let this place remain a monument to pain. He wanted Alyssa’s beautiful, smiling face to be the only memory tied to this sky.

"It wasn’t a good place before," he admitted honestly. "But it is now."

He pulled her against his chest, his arms locking around her waist. "Are you ready? Soren is eager to take you to the sky."

Alyssa’s breath hitched with excitement. But as he began to step back to give himself space to transform, she caught his wrist, stopping him.

"Wait, not like that," she shook her head. "You said Soren is obsessed with me, right?"

Dorian smirked. "Utterly. He would burn the world down for you."

​"Then I want him to prove it," she grinned, a sudden spark of bold mischief dancing in her eyes. "Let him prove just how obsessed and protective he really is."

"He will do whatever you ask," Dorian said, fascinated by her sudden boldness. "Just tell him what you want."

Alyssa offered him a daring smile. "How about I show him instead?"

Before Dorian could process her words or reach out to grab her, she backed away from him and stepped off the edge of the cliff.