Page 8 of The Lands Defying
He won’t stop? Then I will make him.
And he will never do this again.
“You don’t want to do that,” he murmurs, but it’s deadly, a warning brimming inside of it. Tendrils of his power appear from behind his shoulders, swishing angrily as mist appears beneath his feet. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Try me.” We stare at each other for a moment, and then I bend down, reaching for it. “You know how bad I am at doing as I’m told.” My shaky fingers have just barely touched it when a hand is on the top of my arm and pulling me harshly away on a deep growl.
“You will never –umph.”
My arms wrap around Darius’s neck as I jump into his arms. His hands go under my ass, his power folding around me as I cling to him. I’m conscious of the wounds on his back as I bury my face in his neck, soaking his skin with my tears as I pull him closer to me. Just needing him closer.
“Little wolf?” His voice is wary, unsure.
Runa whines within me, and I feel her come as close to the surface as she can while Darius’s wolf meets her.
“No more,” I whisper into his neck. The smell of his blood like this makes me want to vomit, but I can’t let go. “Vow it.” He grunts, and I lean back, looking down at him.
He shakes his head slowly, his eyes telling me his choice.
I grip the side of his neck harshly. “I will never stop grabbing for it then.” I look down at the whip and his whole body stiffens, more of his magic wrapping around me as he bares his teeth.
I show with my eyes how serious I am, that I won’t ever stop. That if he continues to do this, then so will I.
“How do you expect me to give you justice for what I did if I cannot do this!” he says angrily, yet his touch on me is gentle as he doesn’t let me fall. “I do not want your forgiveness in this.”
I move my hands to his hair and yank his head back, baring my own teeth at him. “Vow it,” I demand. “I do not need this from you, Darius, do you hear me? I do not want this, I don’t condone it.”
His jaw ticks. “Then what do you need? Tell me and I will do it. Tell me how to make it better, tell me how to take your pain away, tell me how I can go back and tear my own fucking heartout before I ever touched that fucking whip!” His eyes are a little wild, and I’ve never seen him like this.
He looks so lost on what to do, like him hurting himself was the only thing keeping him together.
I bring my forehead down to his. “Not this. I need you to stop it, okay?” His eyes harden, but I don’t let up. I’m not backing down from this. “I don’t want this from you, I never wanted this from you no matter how much I told myself I hated you. No matter how much I wanted to hurt you. This was never, not once, what I wanted to happen, so, vallier, stop,” I breathe, imploring him with my eyes.
“These fucking eyes,” he whispers, and he maneuvers me to bring a hand up to wipe my tears. “Then what do you want from me if not this?” he says gruffly, like there couldn’t possibly be anything else.
His hands tighten on me, his eyes still a little wild like only I can give him the answers.
I take a deep breath before I reply.
“I want you to bring me my favorite flowers, to train with me, to feed me, fight with me, to hold me at night no matter how much I may grumble, to wash me in the bath, to let me read in your library, to kiss me under the moonlight, to not break this vow.”
A pause. “Is that what you want?” he grunts, his magic tightening around my back for a moment, and I sigh in relief.
“I do.” I stroke through his hair, soothing the sting I probably caused. “That’s all I want. That makes me feel better.”
His eyes bounce between mine, until he nods, his nose nudging mine. “Then I vow it.”
Four
Rhea
“We need to clean you up,” I tell him, wiggling in his arms. He’s reluctant, but he eventually lets me down.
“You going to wash me, little wolf?” He raises a brow, and I scowl at him.
“Yes,” I say haughtily, raising my chin and acting like it’s not a big deal. “Now come on.” His magic releases me and goes back into his body as he stares at me.
I already miss the cool sensation of it.
