Page 127 of The Dark Rising
Darius is the Heir of the destroyer, he would have taken my fortress down in time anyway.
Anna checks me over again and then I drink down more of that horrible drink before I wobble out of bed to go find Darius.
I find him in the library, his pacing still on form as he goes back and forth in front of the window. Light shines on him, his shadow seemingly thicker on the floor and I know his magic is pooling around him.
I close the door behind me, keeping him in my sights as he growls to himself. I sigh, rubbing my arms and shuffling forward, feeling the exhaustion down to my bones. Anna telling me I would die if I can’t get my magic under control wasn’t something I saw coming. I thought that I could learn to live with the way things are now seeing as though Runa won’t come out.
It seems I have no choice in what I need to do now, no matter my feelings.
I walk over to Darius, mindful of the tension brewing off of him. He seems angry, and I’m not sure at what.
Me, maybe?
“Darius?” He continues his pacing. I take another step, reaching out a hand to halt him. “Dariu--” He turns suddenly and then I’m on the desk, one of his large hands grasping my throat in a firm hold. My legs dangle on either side of his hips as he breaths harshly.
“She will come out of you whether you like it or not,” he snarls down at me while I blink up at him. My hand goes to his wrist, trying to pull his hand away from my throat but his hold is firm. “I don’t care for your feelings on the matter, whether you think it is cruel. I will drag her ass out of you!” His words are full of anger, but I detect a hint of something else in them. “I will not lose you to your own fucking power.”
“Darius,” I gulp, and he feels my swallow in his hand. His thumb moves over to my pulse point and his eyes draw toward it, fixated as he can feel it beat beneath my skin. “I know,” I tell him, and his eyes slowly come to mine. His hold on my neck softens slightly. “I know she needs to come out. I… I don’t want to die,” I tell him, and I feel the unwelcome sting at the back of my eyes. “I fought too fucking hard to stay alive,” I croak. “And though I loathe the thought of dragging Runa out when I know she doesn’t want to and it will hurt her, I can’t let this be the reason I become one with the lands. Not like that.”
Darius’s eyes close briefly, and he leans forward, his forehead resting against mine. He inhales deeply, his thumb still rubbing back and forth over my pulse as he just breathes me in. “You may hate me even more for what I may have to do to drag her out of you, but at least you will be alive to do it.”
I shake my head against his. “I don’t hate you, Darius,” I whisper, and he pulls back, moving to rest on his hands at either side of my head as he hovers above me. his brows furrow at my words, his eyes swimming with confusion. “You hurt me, you explained and you regret it. I believe you.” I bite my lip. “I believe all that you said down in the willows. I was angry and I said some things I didn’t mean, but Darius, I never hated you. How could I?” Not when he is who he is to me. Hate is not possible for us.
“I took away the ability for you to hate me,” he mutters, looking off to the side.
“No, the Gods did.” I reach up and hesitantly touch his face. He stills as I stroke his chin with a finger, feeling the stubble there as I scratch at it. I move to his lips next, running over them softly before I move to his cheek. Then I press my finger in harder, turning his head so he’s looking at me. I trace his nose and the small scar there next, before touching between his eyebrows and then running my fingers through his hair.
Touching seems like such a normal thing for many, but to us, this is new, something unfamiliar. I can’t say I don’t like it though. Being able to touch him freely feels like I’m taking a new breath of air after a long time.
Darius sighs, pausing for a moment before he tilts his head into my hand that’s in his hair, and I wonder how long it has been for him that someone touched him like this. Darius doesn’t seem the type of male who allows this type of… affection. He always said he never wanted a mate so I’m assuming he didn’t stay around and cuddle when he had… arrangements. Yet he stayed in bed with me, wrapped around me every night, probably so I wouldn’t try and kill him, but he still cuddled with me nonetheless. Or is it the same now, just being close to me because he needs me near to keep an eye on me?
Doubts start to rear their ugly head and I start to move my hand back. His own flies up and captures my wrist, keeping my hand in his hair as his gaze roams my face. He grunts at whatever he sees, and he leans down and rubs his nose against mine. I melt into the table, closing my eyes and soaking it up like a flower that needs the light. We stay like this for a while, my hand combing through his hair while he nudges my nose and face, breathing me in.
This is a moment of soft affection that I will store away in my precious memories, along with the others where it is Darius, and not the Alpha of Elites.
“Will you help me?” I ask him quietly, squirming a little at his nearness. “I don’t think I can get her out on my own.”
“I will help you, little wolf,” he murmurs against my neck, nipping slightly. “You only need to ask and I will do it.” He leans up again, a smirk resting upon his face. I will happily help you out with the other problem too.”
“What other problem?”
“The one where you won’t ask to be fucked, so I will take it upon myself to fuck you when I see fit.” I blink up at him. “Problem with that?” I hesitate before slowly shaking my head. “Then let’s get started, because I need to feel you wrapped around me.”
Forty Seven
Rhea
“Comeon,Rhea,”Dariuspurrs, blocking my fist with a slap of his hand. “You can do better than that.”
“It’s been hours asshole,” I pant. “Isn’t it enough already?” Sweat glistens my forehead as I lean over and put my hands on my knees. We have been sparring since this morning, and I’m damn near close to collapsing on the floor. We have been training with Taylor since he came to Eridian, but this? This is pure fucking torture.
“You need to get better, and you need all the skills you can get to survive.” Darius takes a step toward me and straightens me up. I groan as my muscles protest. “Feet shoulder width apart and lean into your hit, always. Don’t pull back at the last seconds for your next maneuver. You don’t know how things will go, or what your opponent’s next move is. So every hit, every strike, it counts.” I nod, blowing out a breath. “Let’s work on your power control and then wrap up for the day.”
I look around at the rest of the pack and see them in a similar state as I am. Taylor and Colten seem to be the only ones still going strong, they have barely broken a sweat. Seb runs around in his wolf while Josh blocks his attacks. Neither can get a hit on the other.
The weather is a lot cooler now that we are in the first week of fall. The leaves are beginning to change color, and I take in the scents around me, loving being out in the open even though I have sweat dripping down my back.
“Okay, let’s try with magic.” I bring my hands up, calling to the power within me and feel it answering my call. The strands inside me rush to the surface, mist forming around my hands. Darius watches on, calling his own. His mist turns solid as he raises his hands, and I wish I had his control. “How do you have so much control when you didn’t even remember you were an Heir until I broke through?” I ask him.
