Page 44 of Connected

“Kat, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. And why would you care, anyway?”

“Because I do care—I always care about you.”

“Darius, don’t do that—that look, don’t do it. I told you we can’t be a thing, not now—not now that I know what you really are.”

“Why? When you didn’t know you were fine with it. So why does it matter so much now? I haven’t changed.”

“Because now I do know, and it’s not something I can be comfortable with. The whole idea of it. Me, being with a… Well, it makes me feel sick.”

“What, because…I’m dead?”

“Please, I don’t want to discuss this, so will you just leave? I need to clean up.”

“Sure. Oh, and… you should wear your hair up. It looks much classier. Oh, and one more thing, I guess I don’t have to stayexclusivenow, right? What I mean is it won’t matter, to you, if I go back to the girls at the club?”

“Um… no. No, of course not. No, sure, you’re free to do whatever you want now. If that’s what you want, then do it. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Well, that’s good. But I just thought I’d check.”

He turns to leave, and Kat takes a breath as a tear trickles against her cheek. “Darius… Darius, wait! Just wait a minute. I have something I need to say.”

He turns back and standing in the doorway he watches as she clutches the dress to her chest.

“I um… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, what I said, about you being dead. That’s not how I think of you. I was being cruel and trying to hurt you, I guess because you hurt me, not telling me what you were. I lashed out, and it was a mean thing to say—after everything, you’ve been through. So, I’m sorry, really I am.”

“Sure… Well, then I accept your apology. But you know it’s not true, what you said. I do feel something; something for Digby—for this pack, and for you. I feel everything for the ones I’m connected with—especially you. The moment I laid eyes on you, the very first day—I wanted you so much. I hadn’t felt like that, not since Isabella.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but you know who you are—who I am—and that’s why you know we can’t be a thing. Hell, it’s why Luna, wants to kill you. I guess I should have listened to her warning me about you. Anyhow, I’ve decided, I’m giving myself solelyto Digby from now on. If it’s like he said and fate brought us together—then I have to make it work. But it has to be the two of us—with no complications.”

“Well, that’s great, I mean, if that’s what you really want, then I get it. But Kat, what if fate brought us together too? Brought you to this pack and not just to Digby?”

“Wait, you’re saying fate brought a wolf and a vamp together? Darius, you know how ridiculous that sounds?” She laughs nervously. “No. No, that didn’t happen. Now please, you need to go. I can’t be here with you—like this.”

“Why? Why can’t you be with me? Kat, we’re only talking. Oh, is it because you might be tempted?” he steps forward and touches her shoulder. “Because you’ll be tempted to want me again?”

“No. I don’t want you—I can’t want you because you’re a… Darius, please leave. Don’t do this because you know we can’t be—” There’s a growl as Kat closes her eyes—stifling a tear as Luna protests his touch. “It doesn’t really matter what I want—it can’t be. Now seriously, you need to go, right now.”

She takes a deep breath and her stomach knots as out of nowhere he kisses her.

“Darius, no! I told you… get the fuck away from me!” She pushes him back in reaction to the turmoil going on in her head. Luna howls loudly as she attempts to force a shift and Kat tilts her head back, taking a deep breath as she struggles to calm herself. “Darius, please… please, I can’t control her around you.”

“But confess it,youwant me? Kat, I know you do—I can see it in your eyes, and I can feel it in your pulse. Please, we’ll make it work—we’ll find a way.”

“But she won’t let me. Darius, she won’t. I can’t be with you, please… You really must go now. Oh, fuck…” Kat gasps and drops to the floor.

“Kat… Kat, are you, all right? Hey… hey just stay calm, relax you’re gonna be fine.”

“Get out… Darius, get out and close the door! Do it now… I can’t hold her. You have to get out! Get Digby… I’m sorry I can’t—”

Quickly Kat strips her clothes—a loud roar fills her head as his touch on her body sends the wolf into a mad frenzy which Kat struggles to fight. Suddenly there’s a loud growl that fills the small room and the large silver wolf snarls. Teeth bared threatens him and Darius takes a breath. “Holy fuck!”

Quickly he leaves. Pulling the door shut behind him, he stands silent, listening to the wolf’s frenzied scratching from behind the safety of the closed door.

“Kat… if you can hear me, I need you. And I promise I’ll find a way to make this between us work.”

He listens as the wolf howls and rubbing his hand over his head, he keeps a firm grip on the door handle—holding it shut as the scratching gets worse.

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