Page 81 of Connected

“Kat… no wait. I’m sorry. You’re here now, so stay. We don’t have to do anything, that was me being an ass. We can just talk. Coffee? Would you like some coffee?”

“Uh… Okay, yeah sure, coffee would be good,” she smiles.

“Come through and I’ll make some fresh.”

He takes a breath and leads her through the hallway to the back of the house. As he moves, she can see the way the muscles on his back flex, and in the kitchen, as he turns to face her, she notices the firm toned abs of his stomach barely move.

Luna is already in a frenzy of growls; angry because she can already sense Kat’s yearning desire to touch him.

“So does Digby know you’re here?”

“I think so. I mean I didn’t tell him I was coming but… I think he probably guessed that I would. He said it was okay, that he was okay with it—with us.”

“You have permission to be here?”

She nods silently. “I wouldn’t say I need his permission but… he says he’s all right with it. Anyway, he’s gone out for the night—a boy thing with Zak—so I just thought I’d… Darius, I…” she hesitates and smiles watching as he pours water into the expensive coffee machine, then heats milk in a jug on the side. “Why do you have one of those?” she smiles, “I didn’t think you could drink—”

“I like the smell. Fresh coffee I’ve always loved the smell of it—tastes like shit, but I still like the smell,” he smiles. “It’s a bit like liquor, though, I can taste that and get some of its effect.”

“Oh, I see.” There’s a staid awkwardness to her reply. “Now I know why you didn’t drink the coffee at Marco’s place; the joke he made about the coffee and the pie you didn’t eat.” She laughs. “All the food you never eat, and the excuses you make. That’s why Marco was so surprised when you ordered two. He knows what you are—doesn’t he? But then I have seen you drink; usually, liquor and have seen you eat some things.”

“I’ll eat if it gives me pleasure. I don’t need it but there are few things I still like the taste of.”

“Right. God… why the hell didn’t I see it. It was right in front of me and I never questioned it. I just accepted that it was the way you were—the fearless leader didn’t have time to eat. Shit… how stupid was I—I couldn’t see it? And the blood in the medical stores when I first arrived. There were numerous packs of it, and then it was suddenly gone. I didn’t even question it,” she sighs.

“Well, we rarely see what’s right in front of us, and most people question very little. Perhaps for fear of offending or getting answers to question we don’t want to hear. Kat, I am sorry. Please, you must know, I never set out to deceive you. I wanted to tell you so many times. Hell, Marco told me to tell you. I think he could see what was going to happen. He’s so much older—and wiser. Do not tell him I said that. Maybe I should have listened, but believe me, I never wanted you to find out from the others. I wanted it to be me that told you.”

He takes a moment, stepping forward. Closer, he looks deep into her eyes and brushes his hand on her cheek. “Kat, why did you come here tonight?”

“I don’t know.” She steps up, her eyes locked on his and though she tries, she can’t resist and her hand reaches up and gently touches against his chest. Her fingers follow in a line around the curves of his muscles, and he smiles as she teases his nipple—watching as the surrounding circle of skin puckers. “Hold me. I need to know. I need to know if it feels different—if you feel different. I have to know because you’re in my head—all the damn time and I can’t stop thinking about you.”

He cocks an eyebrow, confused by her sudden change of heart, but exceedingly excited she’s here. Wrapping his strong arms tightly around her, he holds her close and smiles.

With her cheek pressed tight against the cool skin of his chest, she takes a deep breath. Filling her lungs with his scent, she closes her eyes. “How is it I still hear your heart beating?”

“I have no idea. Maybe because you think you can? Because it’s what you wanna hear?”

“You think I’m just imagining it? I don’t think I am. I can smell you; smell the wolf in you. I can’t see you as anything except a wolf. I have tried so hard to distance myself from this—told myself to stay away from you—I can’t. We’re connected and I don’t know why.”

“I can’t explain either, but that’s exactly how I feel about you. Kat, I don’t wanna be without you. I realized I can’t be without you.”

“Darius… there’s something I need to tell you. Something… I am—”

“Shh… Quiet. It doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.” He leans down and kisses her. His tongue swirls against hers and the taste of him consumes her senses.

“I need this. I need you,” she gasps and smoothing her palm softly over the curve of his chest, there comes a loud deafening roar in her head as Luna howls. Kat struggles to shut out the noise as the wolf tries again to force a shift on her body. Kat knows with her carrying a pup she can’t allow it, because to shift now would see her trapped in her wolf’s body for months, and so she fights against Luna to stop it.

Stepping away, she pushes him back. “I can’t… I can’t do this. I need to go. Sorry, it’s not you. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, it’s because She won’t let me. Since I bonded with Digby and… She is too strong and I’m not sure I can hold her. I shouldn’t have come. Darius, I wish it could be different but She’s too strong and I don’t want her to hurt you.”

Her green eyes stare into his purple and they gaze longingly at each other. Then he places his fingers on her neck, gently feeling the throb of her pulse. “Kat, there might be a way—I have something—it could let us be together. But you’re not going to like it. You really would need to have total trust in me.”

“I do. I do trust you. You know that.”

“Well, come then. Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you. Remember, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want, but at least let me show you.”

Reticent, Kat follows him up the stairs and into the large master bedroom across the hall.

“Oh, wow! Wow, you really have the um… vamp-vibe going on in here.”

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