most delicious scent into my lungs. I move closer to the source, wanting it to live inside of me whilst I try and clear the fog of sleep from my mind. Warmth curls around my body, and that’s when I pause as realization hits me. My eyes spring open and I see a tanned, tattooed neck with dark markings. I follow the swirls with harsh, delicate lines up to a sharp jaw, and I know I’m currently laying on top of Darius, I slept on top of Darius. My legs are on either side of him, and my hands are on his sides. My brows furrow as I remember how I ended up here.
Darius reading the book. Darius admitting that he whipped me, that he was sorry. Then I remember that I wanted to kill him, but I couldn’t.
I whimper at that, remembering everything within me rebelling at the thought of it. Large hands touch me, sliding up my spine with firm pressure and squeezing me closer. Warm breath hits my temple, and then a tender kiss before I hear the hum in his throat as he tries to soothe me. The vibrations hitting my lips at his skin.
I rise slowly on Darius, my ass still perched on his stomach as his hands fall away. I move without rousing him, his steady breaths telling me he’s still sleeping. His power moves over me though, the dark mist gently flowing around me before going back into Darius as I take a peek at his face.
He looks peaceful in sleep, his dark hair tousled and messy, his brows relaxed and lips slightly parted. He looks…mortal. He doesn’t look like the Alpha of the Elites or the Heir to Cazier. He just looks like Darius, and in this moment it reminds me of the night we were greeted by wisps, meeting the wild wolves and kissing me under the moonlight.
He showed me softness last night too, in the weeping willow fields. Shielding me as he told me he was sorry for what he did to me. Finally admitting to whipping me.
I saw nothing but truth in his eyes, and isn’t this what I have always wanted from him?
To acknowledge and apologize for what he did?
But he knew that I was an Heir, and he said that he didn’t know if it would have changed anything in that moment if he’d known more about us. That hurt.
But after his explanation about how his men would be hurt, and in that moment that everything happened, I was seen as a traitor, I understood.
I have gotten my apology, and I believe him that he’s regretful. He showed it by shielding me, letting me hit him and take him to the floor. With letting me hurt him and stabbing his shoulder. I think he would have let me end him if I could have. His eyes showed me as much.
I move my gaze to the balcony door, watching as the sun rises on another day of who the fuck knows what. There are more important matters going on in Vrohkaria than me not moving on from what he did to me. Especially when a part of me feels I deserve each lashing he gave me for hiding away while others suffered.
But I fucking suffered too.
The urge to lean back down against his neck is strong, to hide away a little longer, but I resist. I lift my leg gently to move off his stomach when hands shoot out, grabbing my waist. I squeal as I’m flipped over on my back and Darius comes down on top of me.
His face burrows in my own neck, breathing me in as he murmurs in a gravelly voice. “Good morning, little wolf.”
“Morning…” I reply, unsure of well, anything.
He chuckles, sending goosebumps peppering my skin at the light sound, and he rolls off the side of the bed, taking me with him as we stand and he puts me on my feet. “Go and get cleaned up and let’s have breakfast,” he tells me, pushing me toward his bathroom and slapping my ass.
I scowl over my shoulder at him, wondering why he’s being so… normal as I head for his bathroom to shower. I peel off my clothes from the night before, the dirt on them making me wonder how dirty the bed is, before I hop in. The water makes me moan as its heat cascades down my face and body, feeling everything loosen. Wanting to wash away the shit show of yesterday, I grab some soap off the side and rub it all over my body, moaning again as I massage my muscles.
“If you keep moaning like that, I’ll join you.” I jump at the sound of Darius’s voice and peel my eyes open.
I blink through the water and see he’s standing over near the sink, a dark t-shirt in his hands. His eyes track the water moving over my body, his stare dark and heated. I feel everywhere his stare lands, between my thighs, my breasts, my neck. My breathing picks up as my hands clench. When his eyes finally reach mine after examining me closely, he licks his lips and I have to damn-near lock my knees to stay up right because fuck, he cannot look at me like that.
His lips tip up at the side like he knows, as he places the t-shirt next to the sink, heated eyes still locked on me. I swallow. We are here again, same stare and dance with our eyes, but then I vaguely hear a tap, tap, tap sound in the bedroom, and without a word, Darius leaves, keeping the door open behind him.
I hurry through the rest of my shower and step out, wondering what that sound was. Drying off, I put on the t-shirt that is far too big and ends above my knees. I lift the collar and bring it to my nose, inhaling the scent of Darius before I enter the bedroom. I spot him near the balcony doors with a scowl on his face. I follow his line of sight and my eyes widen.
“Illium,” I breathe, and rush over to him, moving past Darius and opening the doors. He comes, cawing at me and flapping his wings, lifting himself to perch in my hands as I sit down on the floor and pet him.
Gods, it’s been too long since I’ve seen him.
“You know this Croneian?” Darius asks, coming to stand next to me as he eyes Illium like he just shit in his breakfast.
“Yes. he’s Edwa—“ I cut myself off and freeze. Darius doesn’t know the name of the person who has helped me, only that they have. I peek up at him, looking at the confusion on his face and then look back down at Illium. He’s got a small leather strap around his neck with a small piece of rolled-up paper attached to it.
I gently pop Illium on the floor and take the strap up and over his head, scratching his chest before I untie the strap and unroll the small piece of paper.
I hope you are safe. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to contact you sooner, Charles is not… himself. He is keeping us all busy searching for you, but also punishing those that are either rebelling against his rule, or wanting sanctuary within the castle walls. I am trying to save those that fall under his wrath, but Rhea… things are worse than ever before.
Stay safe, and I will contact you soon as I think I may have found where he has been keeping those he stole, and where he sent your pack.
Wait for my letter.
Edward.
The note is snatched out of my hand and I startle. I get to my feet and pick up Illium, walking through the balcony doors and murmuring words of thanks before I send him off in the morning light, which he should not be flying in. I watch until he’s just a speck before I turn to Darius, nervousness wracking through me after reading that letter.
I’m glad Edward is safe enough to contact me, though I never know how Illium finds me, but that he also may know where those that were stolen are? Will my pack be there?
“Who the fuck is he?” Darius growls, prowling toward me. I hold my hands up, backing away from him but he just keeps coming.
“He is—“
“No male should be messaging you,” he says quietly, but no less deadly as he stalks forward and I move back. I look over my shoulder and peer down at the ground over the balustrade, wondering how to explain before I shout in alarm as I’m lifted, and my ass is slammed onto the stone. I grip onto Darius’s shoulders, my eyes wide as he steps between my legs and grips the back of my neck, his face full of fury. “Why the fuck is this male sending you messages, how does he know you are here?” He gets right in my face, eyes sharpening and bleeding black.
“He helps me,” I breathe, trying not to panic with the thought of falling Gods knows how many feet to my death below me if he lets go. “He’s the one—“
“The one who what?” he growls. His hand on the back of my neck squeezes and his nostrils flare. I pause, and really take him in, on why he’s so angry. I huff out a breath when I realize.
“Darius,” I say calmly, but with an edge to my tone. “Back. The fuck. Up.” My power slithers out of me in warning, and he responds just like I knew he would. He starts breathing heavily, a wild look in his eyes as his power trembles with the rage pouring off him. “Dar,” I say more gently, shaking my head and moving my hands up the sides of his neck, stroking my thumbs over his skin, feeling the power thrumming beneath it. “Stop being jealous.” I scrunch up my nose. “He’s like a second father to me.”
He stills, before he lets out a long breath and finally relaxes. His hold on my neck loosens, but he doesn’t take it away as his power moves more gently, a casual flow as it seeks out mine and intertwines with it. The blue and black twirl around, the strands wrapping into each other between us.
“You will not touch another male,” he grunts, his nose coming to my hair and his lips skimming my temple.
Possessive male.
“Nor will you touch another female,” I tell him.
Fuck, I’m a jealous female.
“Never,” he says, and his hands go to my thighs as he lifts me to him. I wrap my legs around his waist and he brings me into the bedroom, taking a seat on the chair and bringing me with him, resting on his lap. “Tell me,” he orders, and I move my hands to mess with the bottom of his t-shirt, scrunching it up and releasing it.
“As he said, he may know where Charles has taken others too, my pack may be there, we just have to wait.”
“Not that, tell me about Edward.” When I say nothing, he huffs. “I thought no more secrets?” he says, and I look up at him.
“I told you, he’s like a second father to me. He’s the one I told you about, who has helped me. He saved me, well, us.” He raises a brow and I clarify. “Josh, Cassie, Kaden, and I. We were wandering around Vrohkaria, doing anything we could to survive. He found me at a market one day when I was trying to steal some food,” I say sheepishly, but he doesn’t say anything about that. “He followed me. He told me he knew my mother. I didn’t believe him, but he said arbiel cana to me. Only my family knew those words.”
“We bleed wolf,” he says, and I nod, forgetting he’s spent the last few months learning the language.
“When he said that, I knew he knew my family, and that he was appointed as my guardian.” I watch as that bit of information sinks in. “He told me about Eridian and I didn’t believe him at all. Until he took me there. All he asked in return was for me to help others that needed a safe haven. I didn’t like the idea at first.” I shift on his lap, realizing all I’m wearing is his t-shirt. “Didn’t like being around others much, or being touched a lot.” His hands move to my thighs and squeezes. “Josie helped me get past that over the years,” I say quietly, looking over his shoulder toward the windows.
He releases a long breath, his thumb moving lazily over my skin. “I didn’t know that would happen to Josie or Danny that day. I didn’t agree with it. They were killed in cold blood. They will pay for their deaths.”
“You didn’t stop them either,” I tell him. “You stood back and let them do it, told me my pain had only just begun,” I grind out, swallowing down my grief.
“In a room full of that many Highers and Charles himself, I couldn’t have done anything and everyone in that room would have been in danger. I did try to get Charles to listen to me, but he cut me off. I thought it would make matters worse if I persisted.” I settle a little knowing he at least tried, even if it did no good. “I believed you were a traitor at the time, the cause of the rogures,” he growls and my eyes go back to him. “It’s what I believed then,” he repeats, like he’s reminding himself.
“And now?” I bring my eyes back to him. “Do you believe me?”
“I already told you I do,” he grunts, his eyes bouncing between mine. “But you don’t believe me, do you?” he sighs. “What will it take for you to believe me?”
“It’s… a lot to process,” I say, and his jaw ticks. In one, swift motion, I’m picked up, moved and placed onto the bed.
Darius looks around the room and heads for the table. He swipes some cups off without a care, and I watch startled as they crash to the floor. He then puts the table on its side. With a hand holding it steady, he lifts his foot and brings it down on the leg of the table. The wood splits and he grabs it, twisting it until it snaps. I watch, my mouth open that he just broke a piece of furniture. He brings the broken leg of the table to me, then he reaches into the back of his pants and pulls out my knife.
“What?” I blink up at him.
“Carve and listen,” he says, and I look down. I haven’t carved in so long. I run my fingers over the wood, then tentatively run my knife over it. It’s clean, not a spot of Darius’s blood on it, which I’m glad for. Just the thought has my stomach rolling.
I take a breath, breathing in our mixed scent that are so familiar to me now. Hints of sweet and rawness wrap around me, and I wonder if it will get stronger, add more of our scents together to create something unique that is just us.
Will I allow it?
“I know it will take a lot for you to trust me, we haven’t had that with each other before, have we?” Darius asks, and I nod as I start to carve away at the wood. “Even with the blood oath, that is just reassurance that I won’t betray you, but I will prove to you that I won’t. No matter how long that takes me.” He crouches down in front of me, wiping off some wood shavings that have landed on my leg. “What I said to you yesterday, I meant it, every word. Like I said, I’m not asking for forgiveness, I only wanted you to hear that I regret a lot when it comes to you, now more than ever.” I start rounding off the edge. “The distance between us is, admittedly, driving me insane. I’m constantly pulled toward you, and I think you don’t feel the full effect as you are not one with your wolf.” I think about that for a moment. I do feel the pulls, but I agree it does feel a little muted. So just how strong is it for him? My eyes flick up to his, but he’s watching me carve the wood. “I’m not a male that is patient when it comes to you. I have no boundaries when I want to know something, no, it’s a need to know everything about you. But, little wolf, the connection isn’t making me want to know that, it’s just… you.” My hand stalls on the carving, and his covers mine, holding it firmly as we make another groove in the wood. “Even though I didn’t know who you truly were, I think, no, I knew deep down who you were. I tried to ignore it.“ He laughs at himself. “But I should have known I could never ignore you. It’s impossible to do so.” My cheeks heat at that, and he reaches up and runs a finger over my jaw. “Do you know how you escaped Wolvorn Castle?” he asks, and I frown.
“We ported out of there,” I say slowly. He already knows this.
“And how did you get the port stone?”
My brows pinch together. “Anna had one. She said she woke up with it.”
He nods, shifting where he sits. “Who gave it to her?”
“What?” I ask, pausing in my carving.
“Who gave it to her?”
“We don’t know, we suspect it was Edward.” He said he would try and get us out of there, and it’s the only explanation that he gave it to Anna.
“It wasn’t your friend,” he spits, still hating I’m talking to another male.
“How do you know that?”
His eyes bounce between mine. “Because I gave it to her.”
