The scent of stale potato chips tickled my nose as I blinked awake, disoriented. Lyle''s muscr arm was draped over me, a half-eaten chip still clinging to his lips. I stifled a giggle as I carefully leaned out of Lyle''s embrace. The velvet couch cushion shifted beneath me as I escaped, making Lyle stir. I ran a hand through my tangled brown hair as I looked around. Darren still hadn''t returned, and I couldn''t help but start to worry.


    "Morning, sunshine ... or is it afternoon?" I looked over at his blue eyes, and he gave me a lopsided grin as the chips crumbled from his face. He swiped at his mouth and his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "I guess I pigged out." He then nced at me. "Darren is going to put a rope around my neck for falling asleep next to you."


    "No sign of him yet." I couldn''t help the frown that formed on my lips. Lyle''s brows furrowed as he sat up more, cing his hand on my shoulder. "None of that. You just woke up. Besides... you just ignored the part about my time being limited."


    Iughed, shaking my head. "Darren has faith in you or he wouldn''t have let you stay with me overnight. Honestly, if you


    ever betrayed him, I don''t think he would ever recover from that. At least with your mom-" I stopped abruptly, thinking about Winifred. I wonder if Milo was still with her.


    "My mom never had the tight rtionship that my brother and I have. Still ... it is afternoon, and we have not emerged from this room. Even if he trusts me, hearing no one has seen us would


    door mmed opened and Darren''s presence filled the entire room like a thundercloud. His green eyes were ck until they settled on me. The hardness of his gaze softened and then the color flickered as he looked between the space between me and Lyle.


    "We were up all night and didn''t fall asleep until the morning. She was too worried about you to sleep. I fell asleep next to her, but it was by ident and I''m just going to excuse myself. After all, three is a crowd." Lyle rose from the couch and scurried out of the room. Darren''s eyes were locked onto mine and I couldn''t take not touching him. The moment the door shut and we were alone, I was across the room in an instant. I threw myself into his arms and he caught me easily, crushing me to his chest as if he was trying to attach me to his body.


    "I''ve missed you. I feel like I''ve hardly talked to you." My fingers dug into the hard nes of his back.


    "I''m here, Ally, I''m never going to stay away from you for long." His voice was rough with emotion, and it looked like it had affected him, too.


    I pulled back just enough to study his face, tracing the dark circles under his eyes with my fingertips. "You look exhausted. Have you slept at all?"


    A wry smile tugged at his lips. "Sleep is overrated when there''s a kingdom and a mate to protect."


    I rolled my eyes, but couldn''t help the warmth that bloomed in my chest at his words. "You''re impossible, you know that?"


    "Impossibly in love with you," he countered, leaning down to


    I broke the kiss reluctantly, tugging Darren towards the bed. "You need to rest." As much as I wanted more of his touch, I was concerned about his well being. I sat on the edge, pulling him down with me until his head was cradled on myp. My fingers threaded through his dark hair, massaging fiis scalp gently.


    Darren let out a contented sigh, his eyes drifted closed. "Gods, I missed you," he murmured. A shadow crossed his face, and he opened his eyes to look up at me. "It''s been ... difficult. My temper was getting worse. I nearly lost control during the interrogations. If I hadn''t stopped when I did ..."


    "But you did stop," I reminded him softly, continuing to stroke his hair. "You''re stronger than you give yourself credit for."


    "I have no strength without you." He captured my free hand, bringing it to his lips. "As soon as you touched me, it all vanished. The rage, the darkness ... you make the storm vanish."


    "Soon, the curse will be gone and you won''t need me to recharge."


    "No... I''ll always need you to recharge." He kissed the tips of my fingers.


    I smiled, but felt like I should talk to him about what had been bothering me since yesterday. Lyle made me feel better, but Darren was my mate and I needed to hear it from him. “I—I have been feeling a bit ... vulnerabletely." His eyes sh to mine. "About everything that''s happening with your mother. I don''t want you to feel like you have to lock her up on my ount. She is your mother, and I don''t want to be someone you resent.''


    99


    against his chest. "Listen to me, Allissa," he said, his voice low and intense. "What''s happening with my mother-that''s on her, not you. Never you." It was simr to what Lyle had said.


    "But if you hadn''t met me ... if I wasn''t in your life-" He growled, pressing his lips against mine, effectively shutting met up. He roughly bit my lower lip, gripping my throat to hold me in ce.


    "No buts," he snarled against my lips and I felt a shiver run down my spine... the good kind. The kind that made me want to forget about how tired he was. "It''s me and you, Ally. Us against the world, always. I choose you, every time, without hesitation. If you weren''t in my life?" He let out a dark chuckle. "Oh Ally, what is your little mind thinking? Do you think you could ever be parted from me in this life or the next? Do you not know that I would hunt you down? If you''re thinking of trying to run away, then I haven''t done my job making you understand." He ran his hand over my side while he squeezed my throat. "That all this... is mine. Not to mention you''re carrying my pup."


    His possessive tone and grip was making me wet. I moaned as he gripped my neck, tilting it so that he could suck on my mark. His lips were igniting a fire that was never going to be put out.


    "I''m not going anywhere, Dare. I promise. I just don''t want—"


    "Shh, I could never resent you. Ever. Now ..." His hand gripped my ass as he nipped at the mark on my neck. "I need you."


    Iughed softly, "Darren, you need to rest," I tried to sound stern despite my more than willing body. No doubt he could smell my arousal and was calling my bluff.


    5/5 knew. "You want me to rest? Then, I will... after you''ve wrapped those legs around me and screamed my name until you go hoarse." His voice was husky with desire, and I had no will to fight him. His fingers gripped the hem of my shirt as his eyes searched mine, seeking the permission he already had. I lifted my arms up, allowing him to pull it over my head.


    ...


    "Gods, you are beautiful." His eyes roamed my body. "I am so hard for you Ally .. so fucking hard." He gripped my hand, guiding it to the bulge in his pants.


    "And I am so wet for you. So, what are you waiting for?"


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