Fighting Darius

He saunters through the lively crowd with me draped limply on his shoulder like he has all the right to do so. Like he owns the place. Like he owns me.

I’m praying that nobody notices us. Yeah, nobody will notice a hot topless guy carrying a deadweight on his shoulder. Yup, I’m sure that’s exactly what’s happening here. That’s why the conversation stops and the crowd parts for him.

Well, okay maybe we’re kinda hard to miss. Now I’m feverishly praying that they’re too drunk to remember seeing this by tomorrow.

I’m cursing and calling him every name under the sun that I can think of in my head.

When we reach the car, he gently deposits me on the passenger seat. His movement is totally in contrast with the rage that is still sense coming off of him.

He enters the driver’s side and we both sit quietly staring out the window. He seems to be trying very hard to reign in his fury. He’s balling his hands into fists so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. Me, I’m just waiting for him to say something so that I can yell back…it all depends on what he comes up first.

“Did you enjoy it?” he finally asks quietly after a long silence.

“Did you enjoy what you were doing with him?” He sounds calm. Somehow he manages to make calm sounds menacing.

He’s a barely contained force of raging fury. I can feel it radiates off of him. It should be a warning, but since when do I listen to warnings?

“Oh, it was awesome! I loved it! I enjoyed every minute of it,” I answer defiantly. Liar liar pants on fire.

“Oh, really?” His voice comes out through gritted teeth. His body’s so still. Eerily so.

Maybe I should be looking for ways to get out of this situation.

He’s clearly very mad. No, scratch that, he’s extremely and terrifyingly furious. Well, I’m mad too. He has no right to barge in like that. He has no right to be mad. We’re nothing to each other. As of last night, we’re not even friends anymore.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

A sensible part of my brain is trying to remind me that I’m talking to a furious possessive lycan. That sensible part of my brain is unfortunately very small and I refuse to back down. I won’t back down just because he’s a lycan and so much

stronger than I am…and he can crush my skull with one blow.

Well, okay put it like that, it is kinda scary.

If I was smart, I would have kept my mouth shut, but I never claimed to be smart. So, not so smart Penny says, “yes, really.

As a matter of fact, I think I’m going back in there where Jay and I could continue what you so rudely interrupted.” My hand flies to the door handle. The lock clicked into place.

“Just how much did you enjoy it?” He hisses. His voice is deep, guttural, and very menacing.

I didn’t enjoy that at all. If I was honest with myself, I hated it.

Juno hated it. That’s why I needed to get drunk before I let any of those guys touched me. They smelled all wrong. They felt all wrong. They weren’t him.

Every other guy’s touch feels bland compared to his, some are just downright revolting. All other guys pale compare to him.

The revulsion that I sometimes feel when I let some guys touch me when I’m not drunk enough is really not worth it, but I’d just being stubborn this whole time. The guilt is like a burning hot coal in the pit of my stomach and my heart and my head. I hate it.

I stay stubbornly quiet. I will not admit to it. I will not!!!

He turns his face to look at me and I let out a gasp. His eyes are two cold black abysses. Faint lines of dark veins are visible

around his eyes, marring his perfect skin. He looks dangerous and seriously hot…and I’m a seriously disturbed person. I must be totally sick in the head, but I can’t help it. All I really want to do right now is run and hide from him and ravish him at the same time.

“Answer me, my dear erasthai…did you like his touch more than you like mine?” he leans in close. His face mere inches from mine. His warm breath touches my cheek and my mouth.

His sharp white teeth and canines glisten in the dark as the streetlight hits them.

Maybe I’ve goaded him too far? I gulp audibly. Uh, maybe now is a good time to run?

“I’m asking you, did you enjoy it? Answer me truthfully.”

“Did you enjoy Polina’s?” I blurt out instead. Oh, Penny…

“No, I hated it,” he says forcefully before his lips close around mine.

I locked all my doors and windows again tonight. Okay, I will not deny it, I’m a coward. Usually, I am not a coward, but tonight I am. I’m also very confused, and pissed. A very confused pissed off coward. That’s me.

In the car, we kissed again like we’re at war with each other. It was all his fault. He attacked my lips. Well, maybe I sorta kissed him back, but that’s hardly my fault. He’s very good at it.

Kissing me, I mean.

We kissed for a few minutes, or maybe for hours…I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t even tell when I ended up on his lap, straddling him, with my hands in his hair and all over his bare beautiful body. His wide shoulders, glorious pecs, perfect abs, and flawless back. His hands all over my body underneath his shirt that I was wearing. When we finally pulled apart, I couldn’t even feel my lips.

He drove back like a speed demon. We didn’t utter a single word the whole trip back. His whole body emanated fierce, dangerous energy. The air around us was thick with it. I didn’t even wait for the car to come to a complete stop. I jumped out of the car as soon as we reached the circular driveway.

The lycans were all still hanging out in the great room when I barged into the house. Everybody stopped talking and I remember seeing Genesis staring at me with mouth wide open.

Everybody was staring. Caspian looked like he wanted to say something, but then he closed his mouth as if he was

speechless for the very first time.

I think I said an awkwardly hi to everybody, but as soon as Darius opened the front door, I sprint to the safety of my room.

I almost fainted when I first saw my own reflection in my bathroom mirror. My double buns were a mess. One bun was totally gone while another one was half undone with pins sticking out everywhere. My skin all flushed and my lips red and swollen. I looked like I’d been thoroughly ravished….and I’m wearing Darius t-shirt! Kill me now. Just kill me now and be done with it.

Knowing Genesis and Serena, they would probably be planning our mating and marking celebration by now. I am so doomed.

How do I explain this away? Oh, so embarrassing! It’s so not what it looked like. Gosh, that stupid line.

I took a shower to get rid of all the smell from the blasted party. I grabbed the first pajama top and pajama bottom I could get my hands on.

My pajama top happened to be a small blue tank top with a big Superman logo at the front, while my pajama bottom was an ugly bright yellow and lime green cotton shorts with prints of bugs bunny all over it. They didn’t even match, but I couldn’t care less.

I checked twice to make sure I’ve locked all doors and windows and now I’m hiding under the cover. I mean, I’m lying under the cover. Yeah, I’m lying here with my head under the cover because….because…well, because it’s nice here under the cover.

It’s a bit hot and it’s kinda hard to breathe, but it’s still nice and helps one think. Who wouldn’t want to be under the cover?

My thoughts go back to his confession that he hated Polina’s touch. Now I am more confused than ever.

I try to sleep, but I can’t. I’ve been lying here for hours. Well, maybe not hours, but I’m getting bored. It’s so quiet. I think all my lycan friends are in bed now. Not that I want to face any of them tonight.

I know the moment he enters the room. I can feel him standing there, looming over me as I’m curling up underneath the cover.

As long as I’m under the cover, I’m invisible.

“Persephone,” he breathes. Yup, he’s still very angry. I can feel it even from under the cover.

I feel the bed dips.

“You’re not sleeping in my bed tonight,” I snap.

“Persephone, come out from under the cover,” he sounds exasperated.

“No,” I say, wondering how did he manage to open the door so easily. “I’ve locked that door,” I mumble grumpily.

His short bark of laugh sounds harsh in the silence of the night.

“You think a locked door can stop me from getting to what I want?”

What he wants? My stomach clenches at his words. Nope, I will not dwell on it and read too much into it. “I’m not coming out and you’re still not sleeping in here,” I muttered stubbornly.

“Very well,” he answers. Then I feel his hands underneath me and soon I’m being swept up, blanket and all into his arms.

What the hell??? I pull the blanket off of me to find out that he’s carrying me through the balcony towards his room.

“Wha..??? I never…this is not what I meant! Not at all!!!” I yelp. “Darius, what are you doing?”

“Not sleeping in your bed,” he answers calmly.

“Why you…this is trickery! I said…I meant…I didn’t mean…Darius!!! Ugh!!!! Go find other women!” I yell.

“I never want other women,” he growls as he climbs from my balcony to his.

He drops me in the middle of his bed before he slides in next to me. He grabs me around the waist before I manage to spring out of the bed. For the first time, I realized that he’s bare except for the white cotton pajama pants. He wraps his muscled arms around me and flings a leg across mine,

effectively trapping me. I hold myself stiffly.

I can’t lie, the feel of his body against mine and his arms around me makes me all tingly and warm. I’m surrounded by his wonderful scent. Just because it feels good, it doesn’t mean that I’m just going to give in to him. His arms around me tighten as I try to wiggle out of them.

“Stop struggling,” his voice sounds like a warning. “I’m trying very hard not to go back there and kill all the boys that I smelled on you tonight. My lycan wants their blood. Stay with me, or I can’t stop myself.”

That got me to stop moving right away. I should’ve realized that he’s barely hanging onto his control. I can still feel the raging emotions in him, but it’s easy for me to forget how dangerous he is because I never feel like I’m in any danger from him. Even when he’s seething with anger, I feel safe and protected in his arms.

Deep inside I’ve always known that no matter what, my safety always comes first to this powerful lycan warrior. Instinctively

I know, without a doubt that he’ll protect me first before anybody else. I come first even before himself. That thought brings a frown to my face. My instinct also told me that I belonged to this lycan the first moment he laid his eyes on me and look where that has gotten me.

I’m very comfortable but my mind keeps going around and around. He makes me think too much. He brings out the crazy in me like nobody else can. He makes me understand why some people kill because I feel like killing him more than half the time.

Why? If he hated Polina’s touch, then why? Why did he sleep with her? Did he even sleep with her?

He has no desire for any other women, yet he doesn’t want me either?

My head is full of questions. I want answers. Only he can answer them for me. I intend to get it one way or another.

I tilt my head up to look at him. His eyes are closed, but I know he’s still awake. He’s still very tense. Dangerous energy is still leaking out from every part of his body. He’s still struggling to keep in control.

“Are you gay?”

His eyelids fly open. His glacier blue eyes are staring at me, looking incredulous. He opens his mouth as if he wants to say something, but no sound comes out. I think I just render him speechless.

He blinks and closes his mouth again. We stare at each other in silence. Then the corners of his lips curl up just a little bit into a self-mockery smile. He answers me by turning me slightly to my side so that my back is facing him. Then he tugs me impossibly closer into his body. My bottom is pressed firmly against his hard bulging front. A very hard bulging….Oh, Goddess. My mouth drops open and forms into an o. I

shouldn’t have asked that. How am I going to sleep now?

My stomach churns deliciously. Heat blooms all over my body and my core tightens with needs. Darn it!

Well, at least that got him to smile. Even a little self-derision smile is better than the fury and the coldness from him ever since the party. I hope he’s not thinking about killing anybody anymore tonight.

Then I feel him kissing the top of my head before he buries his face in the curve of my shoulder and neck. His arms gathering me even closer that I feel like there’s no part of my body that’s not connected to him.

He breathes in deeply and whispers gruffly, “Sleep, malyshka.”