Page 194 of Filthy Royal

Apparently, she’d given him another reason to wake her.

Nightmares.

She rolled to her side and curled into him, burying her face in the strong column of his throat.

Except those weren’t just nightmares. They’d been distorted replays of actual events. So many powerless moments. So many ugly instances. So much grief and pain and rage.

Behave, pet.

Kill, pet.

The memories battered at her—right alongside her gift. No longer dormant, the darkness inside her slithered through tissue and bone, fighting to get out.

She had to find a way to keep beating it back.

“Breathe, love.” Damien nuzzled the top of her head with his chin.

She did her best. “I just don’t understand why Darvish hasn’t released those incriminating vids of Luc and Kadon. Or the ones of me killing or the records that prove I stole from the Consortium. Why hasn’t he sent any of it to the Brotherhood? He always threatened to do so, and he’s not one to bluff.”

Damien stiffened against her. “You want the truth?”

“Yes.” Scarlett burrowed deeper.

“I suspect it’s because he still hopes to get you back. Whatever he’s planning, he wants you to be a part of it. If he takes away his leverage now, he’ll have nothing to use against you when he has you.”

A shiver ran through her. A part of her had known Darvish wouldn’t let her go easily but hearing it out loud made it somehow more real. Especially when the thought of being back in that monster’s clutches after being with Damien seemed so much more horrific and soul-destroying than before.

“Don’t worry, baby.” Damien held her tighter. “That’s not happening.”

“I know.” Still, her arms banded around his waist to crush him closer.

“I remember the first rotation I saw you dancing in that crystal cage.” Solid, powerful hands glided down her spine. “I thought you were the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. I still think that now. But now I also know you’re even stronger than you are beautiful and nothing could keep you caged for long. We’ll find a way through this. Together.”

She gazed up at him. “The hands of a fighter. The soul of a poet.”

“And a cock the size of a freight shuttle.”

Scarlett burst out laughing. “Outrageous as always.”

“You know it.” His grin fell away. “You okay?”

She knew he’d done it on purpose. Given her a better memory from her past. A reminder, too, that she could still laugh. And, best of all, that she was no longer dealing with everything alone.

A flash of light on the silver-paneled wall had her head whipping to the side. “Did you see that?”

“Your colors? Yes.” He smiled again. “They’re getting brighter. You should have seen them in the cleaning unit; they were a gorgeous light show.”

She hadn’t noticed, as she’d been somewhat preoccupied. But she noticed now, along with something else that made her frown return. “Maybe so, but the black’s still there too, and it’s growing stronger.”

He smoothed a thumb across her brow. “We’ll deal with it.”

“I try to push it down. But it’s never enough. I-I worry I won’t be strong enough.”

Damien rolled them both until he lay half on top of her, his forearm on the mattress bearing most of his weight, his face close to hers. “You are. You’re strong enough to do anything. Look at all you’ve already done.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. The tip of her nose. “I’ll be right here with you as we figure it out.”

“I know.” Scarlett wrapped her arms tighter around him.

“We’ve got a beta scientist on retainer whose research focus is fated-mate bonds and omega gifts. He’s helped my brothers and their omegas. He’ll help us too.”

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