Page 88 of The Dark Rising
Once they do, I wish they wouldn’t have.
Thirty Two
Rhea
“Fuck,”Dariussnarlsaswe stand still and take in the space. My body grows cold as I look around the room, trying to not let my own memories take me under. “That motherfucker!” he roars, his whole body shaking with what I can only describe as pure rage. I swallow roughly.
Black, mist like shadows suddenly surround him, swirling angrily, and I take a step back at the power within them as they lash out. Two thicker tendrils come up behind him, looking vicious and ready to attack. But there is nothing to attack here.
Whoever was in here before us is dead. The bones in the cages give that away.
Nausea swirls in my stomach.
The ground begins to tremble, Darius’s power filling the room so potent that it fills my lungs. He snarls and growls, his chest heaving, nostrils flaring as he stays rooted to the spot, like taking one move will explode all that rage. And I’m inclined to agree. Black strands form around his clenched fists, whipping out harshly before covering them completely. More spread around his feet, misty and thick as it prowls over the ground. Runa backs up within, and trepidation runs down my spine as the trembling ground moves to shake the walls of this place.
He looks ferocious, unstable and wild.
Yet even though nerves run through me, I’m not scared. In fact, feeling his dominance pulse off of him feels heavy, but also like a gentle caress against my skin.
Something preens within me at the sight. At this strong Alpha in front of me and who is, by all manner of souls, mine. I’ve never seen him like this… so feral.
I suspect not many have.
Moving on unsteady legs toward him, my own body feeling like stone from his power and dominance pouring off of him at the sight of this room. He sees now what his father was, what his father was doing. My words may have told him that he came to see me when I was locked up, but he can see first-hand with his own eyes of his father’s betrayal to the people of Vrohkaria. I didn’t know he had a place like the basement where I was kept, but I know he didn’t help me in that room. He aided my monsters, and now Darius has a taste of who his father really was.
I take in a ragged breath and ban the memories from my mind. The way his father watched and wrote down words I never saw, laughed along with those that hurt me, gave suggestions on other activities.
The walls start to crumble, bits and pieces of rock falling down as plumes of dust slip through the wooden planks above us. I look above me nervously as a beam starts to split. He’s going to bring this down on top of us if he doesn’t stop.
I step in front of Darius. His eyes are black, those flecks of his thicker, and the light green of his eyes glow unnaturally. I’ve seen him be cold, I have heard death in his voice, but this? This is uncontained fury, wild and reckless. So out of control for an Alpha who I have seen control his actions easily.
Darius’s eyes snap down to mine, and I swallow when he takes a step toward me, his body a whisper from mine. He snarls, the sound coming from him terrifying as his power lashes out around my legs, holding me captive as he bares his teeth.
He’s hurt me before, but with the forceful way that the walls are rattling, threatening to bring the roof down upon us, I am not so sure that he won’t hurt me now. He seems too far gone, only seeing a shade of anger I have never seen. He needs to calm down. I know it must be a shock to see what’s in here, but he’s not himself right now.
And yet, I still don’t fear he would hurt me.
Taking a deep breath, I ignore how he snaps his teeth at me, his canines longer, and they graze the tip of my nose slightly in warning.
Don’t come near me, don’t get too close.
But I am Heir of Zahariss, Canaric wolf.
I will get close if I will it.
He’s barely hanging on by a thread as more stone crashing to the floor and a table rattles until the items on there smash onto the ground. The whole room seems to be shaking now, vials rattling, books loosening from the bookshelves, the chains inside the cages clanging.
Another wooden beam above us splinters, and my eyes snap to it.
I call my power slowly, willing it to do my bidding, to let me stay in control as I guide it to my palm. My eyes go back to Darius, his teeth still bared as his power squeezes more around my legs.
“Get…away.” His words are more growl, more wolf than man. I shake my head. “Rhea...” he warns, his trembling intensifying as the stone cracks beneath him, us. Even in this state, he’s trying to tell me to go, knowing he’s trying to fight the rage inside of him.
Delicate strands begin to appear out of my hands that are hanging loosely at my sides, and I send them down to his power around my legs. They run over it, a gentle caress, making sure there are no sudden movements so as to not startle him. I see him shiver as soon as they connect, and I feel all of his power like it’s within me. It’s potent, strong, and dangerous. I lift my hands carefully and put them on his chest tentatively, never breaking eye contact. Feeling his strength, his warmth, my palms rise and fall with each rapid breath he takes. I send my power into him through my hands while I keep the tendrils at my legs soft and gentle. My magic sinks into his skin, and I feel the moment it does, just like I feel his heart beating uncontrollably as I move my fingers back and forth as the two thicker shapes of his power at his back move side to side, violently. Darius growls. It’s a low, deep sound that is full of pure warning and threat. But still locked in his eyes, I feel no fear.
He could have moved his power to squeeze me and break my ribs, he could have torn my throat out at any moment, but he didn’t.
This powerful male, this powerful Canaric wolf, he won’t hurt me. Not now.
