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“You still think I want you dead?” he asked incredulously like he couldn’t understand me at all. “How am I supposed to know what you think? You only speak to me to torture me.” “That’s not true,” he ground out. “Isn’t it?” I tried to call for the shadows so that I didn’t have to face the emotions that were flaring at the feeling of him so close to me, but they seemed out of reach somehow as he held me tightly. “I’m not the one who said they didn’t think anything had changed between us after-”
I looked at him for a long moment, the shadows slipping further away as he gripped my fingers tightly between his. His dark eyes shone with what I could have sworn was concern and I was more than a little tempted to take a step closer to him despite all the reasons I had not to.
“So, you and him are a thing again now?”
“Why would you care if we were anyway?” I asked. I swear he actually bit his tongue to stop himself from answering me. He stepped forward slowly and pressed his fingers to the bite on my neck. The sting of the wound flared through me, and I stilled, expecting him to heal it but he just stood there for a long moment instead.
“Just because you’re obsessed with me, it doesn’t mean the feeling is mutual,” I replied dismissively. Darius snorted a laugh. “Heaven forbid,” he agreed.
“The next time you want to drown in them, tell me about it.” “Why?” “Because if you’re going to drown then I’m going to drown with you.”
Walking away from Roxy Vega felt something akin to being kicked in the balls. It was an all-consuming kind of pain which wouldn’t let my attention waver from it. I’d wanted to spend longer with her, but I honestly wasn’t sure if my company would help or just make everything worse.
A few of them had told me she woke up in the night screaming pretty regularly. But when I’d tried to ask her about that, she’d taken it as some kind of attack and had just started placing a silencing bubble around her room every night so that no one would be able to hear her scream anymore. I knew because I often walked to her door in the middle of the night and pressed my hand to it, reaching out with my own magic until it brushed against hers and reassured me that she was okay. Or if not okay, then at least alive.
This crush or obsession or infatuation I felt for her didn’t give me any rights to her. I hadn’t earned any kind of say in her life. Not that that meant I craved it any less. But I had to remind myself of that fact. Because if Cal was biting her again, I was more than willing to bet he’d be looking for more than that from her. And I really didn’t have any valid reason to object to that. What could I say to her about it anyway? Don’t be with him because we were together once. For one, too brief, earth-shattering moment, you were mine. And I never should have let you go.
“Did you ask Tory Vega out yet?” Xavier asked, changing the subject abruptly to hassle me about that. “I never should have told you I hooked up with her,” I muttered irritably. Though in all honesty I’d needed someone to talk to about her because I was burning up with all the things she made me feel and while this argument still sat in place between me and Lance, I didn’t really have anyone else.
The Libra brand on my arm was itching and burning, driving me to go and seek out my Guardian. It had been too long since I’d spent any quality time with Orion and maintaining this argument with him was only hurting us both. My own stubbornness was the main culprit in keeping us apart. He’d clearly decided that I’d acted unfairly which was about as bad as shitting on his doorstep when it came to a Libra. And I actually agreed with him. I’d been a total fucking dickwad and only my own stubbornness was keeping us apart.
The door flew open just before I reached it, and Lance’s eyes were wide with excitement as he held his arms out to me. I crashed into him, and we wrapped our arms around each other and damn near fell over with the force of our collision. “I’m sorry,” I growled as I locked him in my arms and a part of me wished I’d never have to let go. “I’m sorry too,” he agreed, his beard scratching my cheek in the best way.
“Fuck, you smell so good,” I groaned as the scent of cinnamon enveloped me. “I’m really having to fight against the urge to kiss you right now,” he joked, though as he said it, I was half tempted to turn my mouth towards his.
“I think if we just give each other blowjobs we’ll be all good,” I laughed, and he nuzzled into me. “By the stars, that doesn’t even sound like the worst idea,” he groaned, and I laughed harder. “I don’t think you’re just some asshole my father bound me to,” I growled because those words had haunted me ever since I’d let the poison of them spill from my lips. “I was angry, but I never should have said that. You have to know that’s not what I think of you.”
“I’m just so glad to have you back.” “It’s been fucking killing me. I don’t know why I didn’t just suck it up sooner,” I said in a low voice as I forced myself to release him, and we moved further into the house. “I’ve just been so angry at myself for so many things recently and I…I guess I just didn’t want to take ownership of any of it.”
“I just didn’t want you to think the only reason I came was this damn mark on my arm.” I shook my head, and he dropped his hold on me. “I know our bond is more than what was forced on us,” I said honestly. “I love you like a brother. You mean more to me than most real members of my family.” “Well let’s just be glad we aren’t related,” he teased. “Because if we both had the temper of a Dragon then we’d probably have a lot more of these arguments to contend with – and the blowjobs would be extra wrong.”
Now I just wanna enjoy some time in your company and quite probably spend the night spooning you in the totally platonic, utterly fucking ridiculous way that this bond needs.” “Fuck, that sounds so good,” I groaned, knocking my head back on the couch with a breath of laughter.
Tonight, there would be no Nymphs or Councillors or politics or Vegas. Just two fully grown men watching action flicks and quite likely holding hands throughout. Which was pretty much the best kind of night I could imagine having right now. And as Orion reached out and took my hand, I felt myself grinning like a kid at Christmas and all of my problems seemed a little more bearable.
“Well, I usually don’t let you boss me around, so now we know why that’s a bad idea,” I teased, pushing his arm playfully. He grinned wolfishly and pulled me closer. “Maybe I like it when you rebel anyway, it gives me reasons to punish you.”
“Do you remember when you threw me off Aer Tower and I caught you in the stairwell?” I nodded, biting my lip at the memory. “That was kinda hot in hindsight.” “Fuck hindsight. Do you know how many cold showers I’ve had to have because of you?”
“You’ll like it, Blue. It’s fit for a queen.” I raised a brow. “But not a queen you’d kneel for,” I said airily. “You’d only get on your knees for a king or four.” “In my defence, I only gave Darius a blowjob one time while I was drunk so it really doesn’t count,” he joked.
“Well, I can’t help but notice that for someone who claims to be a sex addict, you don’t actually seem to be getting laid very often.” “That’s a super odd thing to have noticed about me,” I pointed out. He snorted a laugh. “I don’t think you understand quite how many guys I have asking me about how to get on your radar. They know we’re friends and seem to think that means I’m also your pimp, or maybe they want me to be their pimp for you… Either way, it drew my attention to the fact that there doesn’t ever seem to be anyone coming or going from your room and you don’t stay away from the House
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Because Darius Acrux was absolutely not a mistake I was going to make twice. Certainly not while I was sober. I definitely wasn’t going back there…like fifty four percent. Dammit.
The book in my hand smoked slightly and Orion blanched like it physically hurt him to look at it. I had no idea why. It was titled Advanced Numerology, so I was really doing him a favour.
Orion looked at me for a long moment before his gaze slid to her. “Darcy is everything to me,” he breathed. “She’s all I think about and all I want. I see so much good in her and she somehow brings out the best in me. And if you feel that you can’t keep this secret for us or like you have to tell the authorities about what’s going on between us, then I understand. Because you want to protect her as fiercely as I do. But even if we’re torn apart, even if I went to Darkmore Penitentiary and had to live out the rest of my days behind bars, I’d never regret a moment of it. Because my life was
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“You look amazing, Tory,” Caleb said, moving forward to place a kiss on the back of her hand. “Will you walk with me?” He offered her his arm and she threw a glance over at Darius before nodding quickly and walking ahead with him. Darius immediately stalked after them with a scowl and my gaze flitted over to Orion beyond Max and Seth. His eyes burned a hole right into me and warmth spread down into the depths of my bones. I longed to force my way past the Heirs, shove Catalina and her fake boobs onto her ass and take her place beside him.
Tory huffed then Caleb dipped in, caught her waist, and pressed a kiss to her lips. Darius stood behind them with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was about to go full Dragon on them. I couldn’t help a smirk as Tory danced away and Caleb hounded after her like a love-sick puppy.
“This isn’t how I planned to spend Christmas,” I whispered. “Me neither,” he murmured, throwing a glance at the Vampires in the room to check they weren’t listening. “It’s gonna be really awkward when the mailman shows up with my extra-large sex toy delivery.”
I walked up to the end of the table where Tory sat between Darius and Caleb, both of their arms pressing against hers though they had plenty of room. She pouted, driving her elbows into them to make them back off and I threw her a sympathetic smile. That shit was hashtag awkward.
“You’re not unwelcome,” Darius murmured so low that I wasn’t sure anyone else could hear him. “And I’m sorry we’re ruining your day.”
His hand shifted on the table and his little finger grazed mine. My stomach fluttered at the unexpected contact, and I bit my lip as I found myself hooked in his gaze with his dark eyes boring into my soul as if he could really see me.
“Is it that guy over there?” Max demanded and I followed his arm to a huge waiter who was carrying four trays at once and making it look easy. “No, but he’s hot,” I agreed, checking him out. “Maybe I should ask him to come and fluff my pillows later…” “I can do that for you if you need help with it,” Caleb piped up and Darius set his glass down hard enough to rattle the cutlery. I glanced at him in surprise, but he wasn’t looking at me, he was scowling at the hot waiter who seemed to notice and promptly left the room.
“Cut him a break,” Darius said, leaning back in his chair while his eyes glimmered with mirth. “It’s hard when the girl you like won’t give you the time of day. One minute he thought they were all on then the next she’s back to ignoring him and hating him and…” He trailed off as we all looked at him and his gaze slid over me. “And he doesn’t need us laughing at him too,” he finished slowly.
“Yeah, sorry dude, but I’m decidedly less impressed by your fancy house than I used to be,” I said with a smirk at Darius, and he actually grinned. “Right. Now you’ve got a palace, so you think you’re so much better than us mere Heirs,” he joked. “Well…we are Princesses so…”
I leaned back in my chair as the serving staff worked to gather everything from dinner and a warm hand landed on my thigh beneath the table. Darius’s grip tightened as he leaned close to speak to me and I felt a silencing bubble slide over the two of us. “I thought you knew better than to bait my father,” he growled in my ear, his stubble grazing my jaw as he leaned in close enough to make a prickle of heat run down my spine. “Do you have a death wish or something, Roxy?” “Why?” I breathed, turning just enough to catch his gaze in mine. The space between our mouths barely existed at all as I
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Darius still hadn’t withdrawn his hand from my thigh, and I looked at him from beneath my lashes, wondering what he was thinking. He didn’t return my gaze, but his hand shifted on my leg as he found the slit in my dress and pushed his fingers beneath the material.
Darius laughed darkly, leaning forward to pile dessert onto his plate with his right hand while shifting his left further beneath my skirt. My heart leapt as I tried to remember what I’d been saying, and Darius shifted his fingertips across my inner thigh.
Caleb laughed before taking a mouthful of his chocolate cake and placing his hand on my left knee. I froze. My plate was still empty and the guys either side of me were both touching me in a way I absolutely shouldn’t have been allowing. Yet here I was, still sitting there, not pushing them off of me.
The obvious solution was to push them off of me. But as Darius shifted his hand a little higher, I found myself tipping my leg towards him, inviting him closer instead.
My eyes slid to meet Darius’s and there was a question in his gaze which had a blush rising to my cheeks. My attention fell on his mouth, and I couldn’t help but think about the passion of his kisses on my lips. Caleb shifted his hand higher, and my heart leapt as his knuckles knocked against Darius’s. I dropped my fork with a clatter and practically leapt out of my seat as a low, possessive growl left the back of Darius’s throat.
Darius leaned back in the throne, his legs wide and one arm slung carelessly over the armrest as the other cupped the back of his head. He’d run his fingers through his hair, breaking it free of the product he’d used to style it so that dark strands fell loose over his forehead. His suit jacket was abandoned on the floor before the throne and he’d untied his bow tie, leaving it hanging loose around his neck with several buttons of his white shirt open.
“What are you doing here?” I breathed, my quiet voice echoing in the stone room. “I couldn’t watch you dancing with Caleb,” he said, holding my eye and just owning how he felt for once.
“Because you’re in my head all the time. You pulse through my blood with each beat of my heart. I live for every scrap of attention you offer me and suffer through every moment you spend ignoring me,” he said darkly, holding my eye the entire time. “I thought you hated me?” I asked. “I do,” he agreed. “Because you represent everything I want and everything I can’t have.”
“You want me?” I asked slowly, taking a step towards him despite the dark energy which coiled around him. “You know I do,” he replied simply as if anything about us was simple.
“That’s why you push me even when you don’t have to,” he said. “You want me to punish you and you want to hurt me in return,” he pressed, not caring that my scowl was deepening, and my hands were curling into fists at my sides. “And I think you get off on seeing me in pain.”
“You hurt me every time you ignore me. You hurt me every time you spend time with Milton or that douchebag with the hat or Cal or any other fucker who catches your eye.”
“I had that model fired.” “What?” I asked with a frown. “The one in that photo shoot with you. The one it looked like you really did screw.”
“That poor guy probably really needed that job.” “He didn’t need to take his work so fucking seriously,” Darius growled.
“But when I see you, all I want is to lay claim to you. I want you to be mine and I know you never will be and it’s making me even more fucked up than I was to begin with. That’s why I hate you. Not because I’m supposed to or because my father wants me to, but because you represent every freedom I’ve never been given. It’s like you were designed entirely to taunt me and toy with me and crack me open and I won’t let it stand.”
“I’ll never bow to you,” I breathed as the cold stone at the foot of the throne bit into my skin. “But if you like me on my knees then there are better things that I can do down here than kiss your feet.”
