Page 67 of A Kingdom of Shadows

I didn't expect him to say this. "So why did you?"

"Because he asked me to bite him. He betted on his life, knowing he would likely die, and when I refused, he forced me to do it."

If I wasn't mad before about how Rayth treated Darius, I am now.

Darius closes in on me. My eyes fly to his as he stares at me and says, low, powerful... "You asked me once why it is I so badly want to be hated by many." He pauses, and a worrying frown pulls at my forehead. "When Rayth was dying, he told me no one would love me, that I deserve to be hated, that I'm a murderer, a disgusting dragon with no family. So, when I saw the look in Lorcan's eyes that day Rayth died, it stayed with me. I believed in those words, and I've never thought differently."

Because he thought he deserved it.

I'm locked into silence at the pain hidden beneath those layers of gold in his eyes.

All this time, I'd searched for an answer as to why he wanted to be hated so badly. And it is all because of tainted words from a horrid man.

"You were only a child," I whisper.

He scoffs, clearly thinking otherwise. "A foolish child."

I place my palm against his cheek, turning him to look at me. "A child no less. Rayth's death is not your burden to carry."

He stares into my eyes, dark and raw with emotion.

"Tell me," I say. "If I asked you right here, right now, that I wanted the bite, would you, do it?"

He sighs. "Nara—"

"When he asked you, you were too young to know right from wrong. As you said, he forced you to do it, there was no choice, but now you have that."

He shakes his head, and a muscle in his jaw ticks as he looks off to the side like he is reliving all of it. I've come to find out that as much as I kept things hidden and locked away from everyone, Darius, too, had done that with his own emotions.

"I could never give anyone a shifter's bite," his whisper is full of anguish; it cuts a gash deep in my heart. "Not again."

I don't hesitate as I clutch his face and say quietly, "And you will never have to. I promise you with all my faith." I stare at him, ensuring he understands how much I mean it.

His hand travels up my arm, the backs of his fingers brushing against my skin. The air grows heady with anticipation and need. We can’t help but hold each other's gaze. It's eternal... beautiful, and then he wraps that hand around my neck, pulling me toward him as he claims my lips like dawn does twilight.

While our kiss is intense and wild, his touch is tender and gentle, tracing his fingertips down my spine. We can't and won't stop, not even for a breath of fresh air. Our kiss deepens as he hoists me up against him and marches us ahead until he's lying me against the flour-covered wood top counter.

"You're maddening," he whispers against my lips, heavy and lustful.

I smile. "And you are infuriating."

His chuckle vibrates to my core, and my hands run along his chest. It tenses and hardens upon my touch before he says, "I doubt you'll think that about me for much longer."

Despite the solid desirable affirmation in my chest, I hum contently. "I will always choose to believe you are infuriating."

If he has a reply to that, I cut him off as I bring his face down and kiss him with as much intensity as I can give.

We part for a moment. He's looking at me with a heavy-lidded gaze, our lips touching, our breaths mingling as he undoes each lace of my nightgown and exposes the lightest parts of my round breasts.

My legs clench around his waist as he takes a second to admire my figure.

Paranoia skitters across my back, wondering how he's been with plenty before. Men, women, whoever has crossed his path, yet I am so inexperienced and new. Not even my times with Lorcan could come close to the panic I feel right now, and it is something I have never had to deal with before.

He shakes his head, awe filling his eyes as he breathes, "You sure know how to ruin a man." And leaves me breathless as he kisses his way down my neck. I can't contain the thrill from those words, grinning as I rake my hands through his hair, craning my neck to give him more access. He grips my hands, and I release a whimper as he pins them to each side of my head. He doesn't stop there as his bottom lip continues tracing down my chest.

His hold is so tight on my hands I can barely move them. My chest upheaves. Heat creeps everywhere on my body, firing me up with every soft touch of his lips. I almost plead for him to let go when he frees my right and reaches across the counter, grabbing a few strawberries. He crushes them, the sweet scent wafting in the kitchen as he smears it over my breasts. I suck in a breath before he takes my nipple into his mouth.

My body jerks at the warm strokes of his tongue, circling, tasting. I try to hold back a moan, but it's useless the more he teases me because my back arches, my hands clench, and my entire body tingle with each swirl.

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