Feeling emotionally battered, she lowered her gaze and spoke into the open book. “The dream, the baby, the battle.” She tipped her head up, slowly. Her eyes grew wide as she met his glance. “Grayson.”
“I’m sorry, Dari.”
His apology fueled her anger. “Sorry? You’re sorry. All this time you kept this knowledge from me and all you can say is you’re sorry. Why would you do that?” Dari stood up so abruptly her chair went flying backwards. Hugging herself to stave off a shiver, she paced the room.
“I had to keep it from you, Dari. For your own protection. Once you knew what you were, you would no longer be able to suppress the vampire in you. Eventually it would have grown stronger and you would have been detected. I watched over you and protected you the best I could from afar. But last night I must have stayed too long. I gave away your location, and I will never forgive myself for putting you in danger.”
Her mind suddenly filled with memories of being awakened by Wallis. She shook her head. “It wasn’t you, Mikel. It was Wallis, a new member of the commune. He knew what I was and sold me to Grayson.”
“Bastard,” Mikel cursed under his breath. “I’ll kill him.”
“It’s too late for that. Grayson has taken care of him already.” Dari swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. “You have no idea how lonely I’ve been, Mikel. How I longed to have a family, to be loved.”
Mikel stood and took two steps to close the distance. “I do know, Dari. I’ve spent my entire life as an outcast too, longing to love you the way you needed to be loved.” The fine lines bracketing his eyes alerted her to his weariness and to his own pain.
Her vision clouded as water pooled in her eyes. Her heart thudded erratically and her legs weakened beneath her. When she wobbled, his large hands spanned her waist and drew her close. Frustrated and confused, she lashed out at him, pounding her palms on his chest. “I should have been told, Mikel. I should have been told…” Her voice trailed off.
He held her, cradling her in his arms, letting her work her anger and frustration out on his chest. Once her energy drained, he took hold of her hands and placed them at her sides.
Thumbing her tears away, he tipped her chin and traced the pattern of her face. The minute she looked into his gentle eyes, her heart leapt with the love she felt for him. His touch exploded her senses and she found herself leaning into him. God, it felt so good to be held, really held for the first time.
He dropped a soft, tender kiss onto her forehead. This time she allowed her resolve to crumble. Her heart tightened and ached for him. As though moving of their own volition, her hands closed over his.
“And what about your protection, Mikel? You had the knowledge. Could you not have been detected?”
“Yes, it was possible. I took measures and equipped my castle walls with shields, but it was still possible.”
She sniffed, as her tears dried. “Why didn’t you bring me here? Why couldn’t we be together here, protected in your castle?”
His nostrils flared as he shook his head. “Because it is dangerous. Our signature is stronger when we are together, thus enhancing our chances of being found.”
She raised one brow and inquired, “And now, can we not be found?”
“Yes. We need to prepare for that.”
“How?”
He got quiet, thoughtful for a moment. A clear indication that he didn’t have the answer to her question.
She glanced at his desk, back at the book. “It says here when two mature Nallie join as one, body and soul, with their true soul mate, they are gifted with special powers .” Lifting her glance, she narrowed her eyes. “What special powers?”
As though he had every passage memorized, he walked back to the desk, keeping her anchored to his side, and turned the pages of the book. He pointed. “Here it says that some can shapeshift and some are gifted with exceptional strength.” When she
“I’m sorry, Dari.”
His apology fueled her anger. “Sorry? You’re sorry. All this time you kept this knowledge from me and all you can say is you’re sorry. Why would you do that?” Dari stood up so abruptly her chair went flying backwards. Hugging herself to stave off a shiver, she paced the room.
“I had to keep it from you, Dari. For your own protection. Once you knew what you were, you would no longer be able to suppress the vampire in you. Eventually it would have grown stronger and you would have been detected. I watched over you and protected you the best I could from afar. But last night I must have stayed too long. I gave away your location, and I will never forgive myself for putting you in danger.”
Her mind suddenly filled with memories of being awakened by Wallis. She shook her head. “It wasn’t you, Mikel. It was Wallis, a new member of the commune. He knew what I was and sold me to Grayson.”
“Bastard,” Mikel cursed under his breath. “I’ll kill him.”
“It’s too late for that. Grayson has taken care of him already.” Dari swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. “You have no idea how lonely I’ve been, Mikel. How I longed to have a family, to be loved.”
Mikel stood and took two steps to close the distance. “I do know, Dari. I’ve spent my entire life as an outcast too, longing to love you the way you needed to be loved.” The fine lines bracketing his eyes alerted her to his weariness and to his own pain.
Her vision clouded as water pooled in her eyes. Her heart thudded erratically and her legs weakened beneath her. When she wobbled, his large hands spanned her waist and drew her close. Frustrated and confused, she lashed out at him, pounding her palms on his chest. “I should have been told, Mikel. I should have been told…” Her voice trailed off.
He held her, cradling her in his arms, letting her work her anger and frustration out on his chest. Once her energy drained, he took hold of her hands and placed them at her sides.
Thumbing her tears away, he tipped her chin and traced the pattern of her face. The minute she looked into his gentle eyes, her heart leapt with the love she felt for him. His touch exploded her senses and she found herself leaning into him. God, it felt so good to be held, really held for the first time.
He dropped a soft, tender kiss onto her forehead. This time she allowed her resolve to crumble. Her heart tightened and ached for him. As though moving of their own volition, her hands closed over his.
“And what about your protection, Mikel? You had the knowledge. Could you not have been detected?”
“Yes, it was possible. I took measures and equipped my castle walls with shields, but it was still possible.”
She sniffed, as her tears dried. “Why didn’t you bring me here? Why couldn’t we be together here, protected in your castle?”
His nostrils flared as he shook his head. “Because it is dangerous. Our signature is stronger when we are together, thus enhancing our chances of being found.”
She raised one brow and inquired, “And now, can we not be found?”
“Yes. We need to prepare for that.”
“How?”
He got quiet, thoughtful for a moment. A clear indication that he didn’t have the answer to her question.
She glanced at his desk, back at the book. “It says here when two mature Nallie join as one, body and soul, with their true soul mate, they are gifted with special powers .” Lifting her glance, she narrowed her eyes. “What special powers?”
As though he had every passage memorized, he walked back to the desk, keeping her anchored to his side, and turned the pages of the book. He pointed. “Here it says that some can shapeshift and some are gifted with exceptional strength.” When she
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