Lucas rubbed my back while I finished regurgitating my lunch onto the grass. William, Jackson and Darius rounded the remaining women up and had them taken away. To where, I have no idea. He never tells me anything.
“Eliza!” I shout, remembering I told her to run.
Helena stopped me before I could run after her, “She’s fine. We intercepted her on the way over and had Cara take her to your father,” she explained.
I sighed with relief. “I want you to go back with Helena and your brother’s. I’ll be there shortly,” Darius instructed.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll explain it when I get there,” he answered, “Go.”
Seeing that he’s in business mode, I nod and allow Helena to take me away. We’re placed in a car and taken back to the Hotel. Helena keeps trying to get me to shower but I can’t. Not until Darius comes back and I know he’s all right.
For hours I paced, refusing to eat. My father tried talking me into taking a seat, but even his reassuring words weren’t enough to calm me down. I was worried. What if there were more of them? What if Darius was ambushed? What if he’s…dead?
So many thoughts and what if scenarios went through my head until the doors to our suite finally opened and Darius walked in. I wrapped my arms around him, refusing to let go and he hugged me back.
“She’s been a mess ever since we left. She needs to eat,” Helena told him.
Darius’ eyes slid to Ethan, “Since you love to cook so much, why don’t you make her something to eat and I’ll deal with you and Lucas later,” his voice was laced with a lethal undertone.
He blamed them for what happened, but it wasn’t their fault. I chose to go. I chose to give the guards the slip. Swallowing hard, Ethan nodded and did as he was told. Darius took me by the hand, guided me to our bedroom, turned on the shower and peeled the blood soaked clothes off himself and me. “I was so worried,” my words came out in sobs, “I thought something happened to you and maybe there was more of them we didn’t see. That they’d…that they’d somehow gotten to you and hurt you.”
Darius huffs and pulls me into the shower with him. He picks up the soap and begins washing the dried blood from my skin, “I’m not that easy to kill Giselle. There isn’t an army large enough to successfully kill me,” he presses a kiss into the hair on top of my head, “but you on the other hand…what were you thinking?”
“Eliza wanted to go to the park and I wanted to go too,” I shrugged.
“I understand that, but you gave your guards the slip.”
“I just wanted to be free to do as I please for a change,” I slunk against the cool glass of the shower stall, “I’m either confined to whatever home we’re in or our bedroom like I’m going to break or shatter. My freedom has been taken from me as well as many other things.”
“Like what?”
I’m not sure if sharing what my last thoughts were as I lay there dying would have an affect, but I wanted to tell him anyway.
“When I lay there on that grass, bleeding to death, all I could think about was the fact that I was going to die, never knowing true love,” I looked away, “and don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to love me because I know you don’t, but I would like to know love before I die. If it can’t be with you, let me find it with someone else.”
Darius reeled back and raised a brow at me, “You want me to willingly let you defy the sanctity of our marriage?”
“If that’s what it takes, then yes.”
“You do know who you’re married to, don’t you?” He scoffs, “Letting you be with another man stands against everything I am as a man Giselle.”
“But you don’t love me.”
“It doesn’t matter. You belong to me.”
“I’m not a possession, I’m a person,” I narrowed my eyes at him, “And being with you…while I believe it can be something extremely passionate and grand, it will always be tainted for me as long as Aria has your heart.”
Darius groans. Massaging the bridge of his nose, he sighs, “You humans and your need to feel loved. Why isn’t it enough that we’re married? Anything you want I make sure you have it, so why does your need for love outweigh your need for comfort?”
“Why is that you think my need for comfort should outweigh my need for love? I’m your primary wife in every sense except for when it comes to your heart. If there’s anything you should’ve learned about humans by now, its that we want it all.”
“I can’t give you what you want,” he sighs.
“Can’t or won’t? You’ve made me your primary and I’m the one the public sees on your arm. In every way but one you’ve made me your primary, so why throw walls up around your heart with me? It doesn’t make sense,” I argue, “You can keep Aria if you wish, but don’t block me from your heart.”
“You don’t understand,” frustration set in his eyes, “Loving you goes against everything I stand for. You’re human.”
So that’s where he drew the line, my humanity. If I weren’t human he would have no problem loving me, or at least that’s what he’s implying. “Turn me then. Make me like you,” I told him. Something like shock shone on his face.
“You would give up your mortal life for me?” Not exactly a question, more like surprise at my willingness to give up my life for him.
“I love you.”
Darius grimaced at the three little words and continued looking into my eyes before saying, “Don’t.”
Frowning, I asked, “Don’t what?”
“Don’t love me,” he replied, “I won’t return your sentiment. And don’t ever ask me to turn you again because I can’t. In order for all of this to work I need you human.”
Yet another blow to my already broken heart, “I think we both know I’m too far gone to heed your warning, so if you’re going to break my heart, so be it. But I’m not going to stop loving you because I’m supposed to. You’re my husband and one day you’ll be the father of my children Darius.”
I started to climb out of the shower when he stopped me, placing his palm against the glass and blocking my path. His gaze lingered as he dipped his head and kissed me on the lips. I thought about fighting him off, but the core between my legs tightened in response to the look in his eyes.
Images of he and Aria flashed in my mind, but even that wasn’t enough to calm the throbbing between my legs. I missed him. All of him. And after he saved me from certain death this afternoon, I sort of owed him my life.
I kept waiting for him to make his move, but he didn’t. He finished cleaning himself off, turned off the shower and handed me a towel to dry off with. Just when I figured he was keeping his distance, he asked, “Am I still on punishment for my crimes or may I go beyond a kiss?”
A simple yes would’ve sufficed, but he likes when I assert myself. I snatched his towel from his waist and pushed him down on the bed. His answer…a devilish grin. I dropped my own towel to the floor and straddled him as he sat at the edge of the bed.
“Does this answer your question?” I asked.
Both approval and desire shone in his eyes. Pressing his lips against the nape of my neck, he whispered against my skin, “God I love you” …and that’s when things got weird. Neither of us moved, frozen in place at his momentarily slip of the tongue.
In the silence, our breaths became one. I’ve waited forever to hear those words and never thought I would until now. The affect it had on me was catastrophic. My heart soared at the sound of those three words, but Darius…he wasn’t moving. In fact, he backed away and shook his head as if he was in some sort of trance. Then his eyes met mine and there was a hint of rage behind them, not the loving expression I was hoping to find there.
I wanted to shout with glee, but the look in his eyes robbed me of it. It was utter disgust and I wasn’t sure if it was at himself or me. Either way…really? Firmly he gripped me by the waist and set me on my feet in front of him. If he was in the mood before, he wasn’t now, and what’s worse, he could barely look at me.
Silently he rose from where he sat, changed his clothes and then he simply left me standing there, digesting what just happened. Wanting to check on him, I dressed and went to find him.
He sat in the billiards room with Lucas, Ethan, his brother’s, and his cousins. They were starting a round of pool. “Is everything okay?” Cara asked, a worried look on her face.
“Everything’s fine,” I assured her.
“Then why does one of the strongest night-dweller’s to ever walk this earth look as petrified as wood? He’s even paler than usual,” She chuckled, “Are you…you know…pregnant? That would totally explain the frightened look on his face. Fatherhood scares men as much as being left for another woman scares women.”
“It’s not that,” I whispered.
“Then what is it?” She pried.
“He told me he loved me.”
The room went completely silent, minus a certain night-dweller shattering the poolstick he held in his hands at hearing my explanation. I’d forgotten about their preternatural hearing. Now, all eyes were on Darius and I. Cara’s eyes went wide and she cupped her hand over her mouth, stifling a gasp.
Slowly…too slowly, Darius turns to me. That hatred still shone in his eyes, only its more prominent now. “You’re in love with her…so what,” William pet him on the shoulder, “It’s not the end of the world little brother. Besides, she’s your wife.”
“I don’t love her,” Darius growled at him. William threw up his hands and backed off. He pinned me with a stare that broke my heart all over again.
“It’s not the end of the world Darius,” I told him.
“I don’t love you,” was all he said in response.
“Well if you did-”
“Stop! Talking!” He raised his voice.
“Watch how you talk to my sister,” Lucas challenged him.
“Or what?” Darius’ eyes slid to him.
Afraid for Lucas’ life, I put myself between them. Neither of them was backing down. “My sister should be cherished, not treated like some second rate trash. You should be honored she would lower herself to sleep with something like you.”
“Keep talking pretty boy and I’ll make you swallow your own tongue,” Darius threatened him.
“Stop this!” I shouted at them both, “It’s okay Lucas, I’m fine.”
“You didn’t want this,” pain shone in his eyes, “And I understand why now. I’m sorry our parents did this to you. You deserve better than this savage in high-end clothing.” He turned his attention to Darius now, “You may be at the top of the food chain and you may have this world by the balls, but for all your accomplishments and achievements, you’re still a degenerate.”
Darius lunged and I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. I opened my eyes and Darius searched the room with his eyes as if he were looking for something. He reached out his hand and there was a ripple in the space between us. An invisible wall. Asher stepped between Darius and I, and I realized he’d shielded us from Darius.
“You need to calm down before you do something you’ll regret later,” Asher instructed, “ Need I remind you we still have a campaign to complete and a dead political puppet would turn our achievements on its ass if it ever came to light.”
“What are you talking about?” Darius snapped at him, “I would never hurt her.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that killing her brother would hurt more than anything you could do to her physically,” Asher pointed out.
Realization set in and Darius forced himself to calm down. He met my gaze, but words failed him in this moment. “Perhaps the two of you need a break from one another. Giselle, why don’t you come with me?” Asher suggested, “You owe me a day a week and now seems as good a time as any to collect.”
“No,” Darius quickly refused to allow me to honor my agreement.
“It’s not up to you anymore,” Asher smirked. Darius’ eyes shot to mine, “It appears your actions have caused quite the uproar. Whatever containment you used to affect her free will has broken and she’s free to choose for herself.”
I had a lot to think about and not that much time to think about it. I can forgive his love for Aria, and even marrying her. I can even forgive how horribly he treats me at times. But what I can’t forgive is his threat to Lucas who was only trying to protect me. In the end, I agreed to go with Asher and the building shook in response.
Asher smiled triumphantly and both William and Jackson had to hold Darius back. “Now that she’s accepted the agreement in its entirety, she belongs to me one day out of the week.”
Darius yanked free from his brothers and demanded everyone leave us alone to talk. They all obeyed and he closed the space between us. “I know why you did it, and I don’t blame you. I just want to warn you to be careful,” he told me.
“That’s all you have to say to me?” I scoffed, “Why is loving me a bad thing?”
He sighs frustrated and says through gritted teeth, “I don’t love you.”
“Then my going with Asher isn’t going to change much, is it?” I replied.
I didn’t wait around so we could argue. It’s all we ever did. I definitely needed a change of scenery. And when Asher announced that we wouldn’t be staying at the hotel, I was glad. I was going to miss Eliza, my father and my brother, but I needed this. I had a lot to think about in regards to my future with Darius and I couldn’t do it here.
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