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“That does kinda sound like a perfect date for her,” Seth said with a shrug. “Assuming she likes tequila.” “She does,” Darius replied with enough confidence to say he was sure of that. Apparently, he’d been paying rather a lot of attention to her because I had no fucking idea she could even ride a bike let alone the rest of it.
“Well for someone who isn’t going to ask a girl on a date, you seem to have thought pretty damn hard about what you’d do for one,”
“No I haven’t. You asked and that’s what I came up with.” Darius replied and I only felt honesty coming from him, making me actually believe that. Which was worrying in its own way because that meant he’d been paying enough attention to Tory Vega to figure out all that stuff about her and know it so well he didn’t even have to think about the answer before it sprang from his lips.
“Yeah, who the hell would want all of those muscles and the darkness and the tattoos...” Seth trailed off as he blatantly checked Darius out and we all laughed.
“And she wouldn’t say yes anyway so this is a pointless conversation. Like you said, she hates me.” Darius’s gaze darkened even further with that remark and for a moment I could have sworn I felt…pain.
“Just in case they rise up, claim their place and de-throne us?” Darius scoffed. “Don’t worry, Father will kill them before that day ever comes. Why do you think I work so hard to keep them beneath us?” I raised an eyebrow at that because it sounded suspiciously like Darius was trying to protect the Vegas by tormenting them instead of his motivations being about maintaining his own power. Our power.
“He’s been blocking me out of his head for a hell of a long time,” I said with a frown. “But he just let the walls down and…fuck, I think we really screwed up. He’s not just miserable, he’s a ball of anxious energy and darkness and pain. I don’t even know how to marry that with the guy who makes me laugh every morning over breakfast and wrestles with me in Water Elemental. He’s been hiding this shit for so long that I don’t even think he knows how to drop the mask anymore.”
He was sitting on the grey couch as I came up, still not shielding his emotions from me as he looked at something on his Atlas. Whatever it was was confusing him a hell of a lot. There was some lust, longing, anger, irritation, and a hell of a lot of pain.
I did not expect to see a photograph of Tory Vega in her underwear and a pair of filthy walking boots. Darius snatched it back out of my hands with a possessive growl and quickly locked his screen.
“Why are you so obsessed with her?” I demanded. “It couldn’t come to anything serious even if she was interested. Not to mention all the fucking reasons why you shouldn’t be getting close to a Vega in the first place. And Caleb-” “I’m aware that he’s seeing her,” Darius growled, jealously and anger mixing with a tug
Darius looked at me with a weird kind of desperation in his gaze. “I know,” he growled. But with his emotions still wide open to me I could feel how much that thought tore at him. It actually hurt him to think about getting rid of her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Max, I’ve never…I can’t stop thinking about her and wanting her and hating her all at once.”
The four of us were huddled so close together that it should have been uncomfortable but somehow it wasn’t. This was the bond of our brotherhood. Darius needed us and we were going to show him that we’d be here no matter what.
“Fine.” Seth looked between the three of us and blew out a breath. “So I…might have tried that nipple thing again after all-”
“No. Fuck no, I don’t need to hear anything else about you and that weird suckling thing. This secret session is officially over,” I said.
Darius: I can see you’ve read that… Darius: And that… Tory: Stop hassling me, stalker. Darius: What, no photos in your underwear tonight? Tory: I’m pretty sure it’s your turn to send me something. Also, fuck off.
“I’m getting serious déjà vu,” she groaned. “Because it seriously looks like you’re sexting Darius Acrux again.”
“This time it’s one of him, not you.”
“Oh, give me a gander!” Geraldine exclaimed. “I do like an eyeful of man meat from time to time.”
Darius: One new photo. “It’s not going to be a dick pic,” I said, my finger hovering over the message. “It is,” Geraldine countered. “I can feel it in my waters.”
“It’s just a…well I don’t know what exactly, but not a dick pic. Probably. Maybe. Like, sixty three percent.”
“Perhaps I should. I could start work on collecting the full set of Heirs as notches on my bedpost,” Geraldine joked. For half a second, I almost snapped at her. Like some small, insane, teeny tiny psycho deep down inside of me wanted to tell her to back the fuck off of Darius even though I knew she was only joking. But in that half a second I thought of him as mine and I didn’t want her or anyone else near him. Which must have meant I really was crazy.
“You’re always telling me to be careful, you’re such a hypocrite.” “I know,” he growled as his fingers found my panty line and my thighs parted for him. “But I can’t help myself. I have a craving for you I can’t sate, but I sure as hell want to try.”
“You’re bluffing. Because we both know there’s more at risk than just your job or even your reputation. Which is why I’m kinda surprised you’d fuck a student, Lance. Was a taste of Vega pussy really worth it?” Orion swung at him in a blur of motion, pinning Seth to the wall by his throat. “Don’t you talk about her like that you piece of shit!”
A storm was rising around Orion, but I placed a hand on his arm, begging him with my eyes. “We have to.” “Blue,” he breathed, his gaze cracking with desperation. “Please,” I begged, knowing he’d face the court instead, but this had to be better than that. Even if the idea of doing as Seth told us repulsed me, I’d rather that than let Orion take the fall for our relationship. “If he tells Nova, we’ll be ripped apart.” Orion’s throat bobbed and sheer panic swept across his expression at my words.
“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you. I don’t care if you’re an Heir or if I end up in Darkmore Penitentiary for the rest of my fucking life. I’ll take any fate for her, so just remember that when you’re playing your little game, Capella.”
I’d chosen to go along with this. I’d made yet another strike against her, even though I was beginning to feel like these attacks wounded me more than her. She’d barely spared me a glance all night. I didn’t even know what I wanted from her anymore, but the way she kept ignoring me was driving me insane.
“This party’s getting old. You wanna head back to your dorm? I can walk you,” I offered, wondering if she was about to tell me to fuck off. Or if I’d have to toss her over my shoulder and drag her back there against her will. Either way, I was more than done with letting the assholes at this party gawp at her and I needed to be sure she was safe.
“Truce?” I offered. “From now until tomorrow we can just pretend to like each other. Or at least not hate each other.”
“Maybe I’m always pretending to hate you,” she said eventually, and I stilled as she reached out and took my hand.
pursing her lips as she thought about something. My heart pounded wildly as she looked my way, and a smile captured her lips. Roxy didn’t smile at me. Certainly not since the Eclipse. And I couldn’t really blame her for that. But until that moment I didn’t think I’d let myself appreciate how much it would mean to me if she did.
There was something about the way that she looked at me sometimes that made me feel like she could see through every wall I put up, spot every lie and piece of armour I wore and look straight upon the creature which hid in the depths of my soul.
And fear shackles you just as easily as chains if you let it.
A part of me wanted to reach for her and my gaze drifted to her mouth as my imagination got carried away for a moment, but I managed to take a step back instead.
I did always have an agenda when it came to her, though sometimes, like right now, it seemed like I wasn’t even sure what that was. I was supposed to be getting rid of her, but the idea of that tore me in two at the same time as me knowing it was necessary.
I moved to sit beside her, leaving an inch of space between us despite the fact that I wanted to pull her close. I sighed, running a hand over my face. This whole thing was so fucked. I’d set her up tonight, gone out of my way to hurt her yet again but here I was, sitting in the dark with her, aching to touch her, stealing glances at her like some kid with a crush. Why was everything so difficult with her? It should have been simple, no matter what she looked like or how hot I thought she was, I shouldn’t have been agonising over the idea of getting rid of her.
I’d never hungered for someone like I did for her.
She was a real challenge, unafraid of me no matter what I threw at her and capable of matching or even besting me in every way. I’d never met a girl like her before. She was my equal. She had no interest in my power or my name so every piece of attention she threw my way was earned by me. She actually cared about who I was over what I was. And even though she hated what she found most of the time, she still saw me. And the idea of that was as exhilarating as it was terrifying.
She only hesitated for a moment before letting me guide her closer to the drop and I smiled as I caught her around her waist, hoisting her into my arms. She shrieked but it wasn’t in fear, her voice lined with laughter as I held her close and leapt off of the diving board.
“You’re so fucking smug,” she mocked but her tone was teasing. “I can’t help it if you’re impressed by me,” I replied, and she rolled her eyes.
“I don’t have my dorm key,” she announced as we made it back out into the cold air outside. “Sofia has it…” “So come and stay with me,” I replied instantly, wanting her close despite all the reasons that I shouldn’t.
And if I was being totally honest, I was pretty sure she must have been close to wasted. Because Roxy Vega wouldn’t give me the time of day if she was sober and right now, she was looking at me like I was the only person in the world.
Her eyes widened as she realised what I was offering. And sure, she could just use her own wings to fly up there but riding on a Dragon was practically against the law. Especially if you asked my father. He could banish me from the Dragon’s guild if he found out. I could hear him now; Dragons are not pack horses. But I didn’t give a shit. I’d break that rule for her. Hell, I was beginning to wonder if I wouldn’t break a few more for her too.
“What are you waiting for then, Dragon boy?” she teased. “You’d better take your pants off.” I barked a laugh and stepped closer to her as I unbuckled my belt. I couldn’t quite figure out if I was drunk or going insane, but I had to admit I liked it.
“Are you literally gonna stand there and stare at me while I get naked?” I asked. “Like you did when you burned all my clothes off of me on my first day?” she countered, arching a brow at me. I pushed my tongue into my cheek and dropped my pants, but her gaze stayed fixed on my eyes.
“Could you get in trouble for doing this?” she breathed. “Why do you sound concerned about that?” I teased. “I’m pretty sure trouble’s what turns you on.” Roxy laughed and my heart leapt at the sound of me making her happy.
Roxy screamed as we plummeted and I released a plume of Dragon fire as my own excitement grew with hers, the flames whipping around us and away into the night. I snapped my wings out before we could hit the ground and shot skyward again, spinning in circles and bathing in the laughter that spilled from her lips as she clung on for dear life.
oh she has a point there, I saw that and you did look hot,” Roxy commented, making my heart lurch in a strange way. But she continued as if there was nothing at all odd about her admitting she found me attractive.
She reached out sleepily, taking my hand in hers and pulling me down to join her. And I let her. Because I was weak and selfish. And because I knew this had been my last chance to prove to her that I could be more than just the asshole who made her miserable and I’d fucked it up. It felt like this had been a test and I’d failed before I’d even begun.
For the second time in my life, I woke feeling warm, safe, and content in someone’s arms.
My gaze slid over Darius again and I chewed on my lip as I considered that. The comforter was pooled in his lap and his bare chest revealed the myriad of tattoos which covered his skin. There were dark flames dancing up the left side of his chest and figures rose from them in a way that was either filled with hope or pain depending on the way I looked at them.
