Chapter Ten
Darius hardly ever dreamed.
But when he did, it was only of one thing. Of that fateful night when he lost everything.
Maybe they weren’t dreams. They were too vivid. He wasn’t sure because the memories of that night remained fractured in his brain.
He was sitting in the kitchen, doing his English homework.
“Make sure you study hard, Darius,” his mother said in their native tongue. “You need to speak English to make it here.”
His father winked at him from across the table. “And remember what I said? Once you are successful and rich here in America, you can buy anything.”
“Even that car?” The photo of the charcoal gray Dodge Charger hung on the wall of the room he shared with his younger brother, Thomsin. He had seen the advertisement in a magazine and knew this was the car he would be driving one day.
“Yes, son. Even that car. Believe me, hard work pays off.”
His parents smiled at each other, like they were hiding a secret.
The next thing he remembered was opening his eyes. He was lying down on sterile, scratchy sheets, and his entire body was in pain.
He jolted awake. From across the bed where he sat up, he saw his reflection in the dresser. For a second, he felt the same shock that coursed through his veins the first time he looked in the mirror after that night, when he saw that his hair had turned all silvery white.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and rolled out of bed. His heart pumped loudly in his chest, the sound drowning out everything else. He needed something to calm him. As if on instinct, he grabbed for the shirt that hung from the back of a chair. Pressing it to his nose, he took a whiff. Adrianna.
Her scent invaded his senses, and his heartbeat crawled back to normal. He really should toss the shirt in the laundry. Or just throw it away. But he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it, not when it was soaked with her delicious smell. Of course now, his anxiety was replaced with arousal. His cock bobbed up, pressing against his sweatpants uncomfortably.
Last night had opened up a dam that he couldn’t close. He knew kissing her would be a mistake, but he didn’t know how much. He had a taste of Adrianna and wanted more.
He tossed the shirt into the laundry basket. His wolf growled in anger. “Stop,” he said through gritted teeth. It was his damn fault, and now he would have to live with the consequences. And he would have to face her now after he had slinked away like a coward when he heard Julianna come down from her room.
He should apologize for his behavior. It was not proper. The presence of the other Alpha had pushed him over the edge, but that wasn’t an excuse. She was to be Alpha, and he was nothing more than her bodyguard. Plus, there was the fact that he was supposed to spy on her for Anatoli. He was actually surprised his uncle hadn’t been bothering him every minute to ask for information. But he had a suspicion he would hear from Anatoli soon.
He could delay the confrontation with Adrianna, but he’d always been the type to face problems head-on. He heard her come down the stairs, probably to start her day with her usual cup of coffee. So, he walked into the kitchen, fully intending to take responsibility for his actions. He didn’t expect to see her sitting down at the table, her face scrunched up as she stared at the phone in her hand.
“What is wrong?” Anxiety, tension, and worry rolled from her in waves and tinged her sweet scent.
Her head snapped up, and those beautiful eyes grew wide. For a second, her expression softened, but her worried mask slipped back on. “It’s nothing,” she said before turning back to her phone.
He had expected her to be awkward or nervous around him, maybe even dismissive. Those emotions he could have dealt with, but not this. She looked deflated and the fact that she was unhappy made him edgy. He had to comfort her, but how?
Walking over to the coffee pot, he poured her a cup and added a touch of milk, just the way he’d seen her take it the last two days. He saw a box of pastries on the counter, then fished out a croissant and placed it on a plate.
“Eat.” He put the coffee and food in front of her.
She made a face. “I’m not hungry.”
“It doesn’t matter, you must eat.” He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. “Now, tell me what is troubling you.”
She put the phone down. “Noth—” He gave her a stern look, and she was taken aback. “It’s my brother. Lucas. Julianna said he was in some kind of trouble, but he won’t tell anyone what. He won’t even answer my calls and we usually tell each other everything.”
So, she was worried about her twin brother. And it seemed like she would not be happy until she knew what was wrong with him. “Then you must find out what’s troubling him.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Seek him out and ask him directly. Technology,” he nodded at her phone, “cannot replace a face-to-face meeting.” He knew it was old-fashioned, but that was how they did business in The Family.
“I can’t see him.”
“Why not?”
“You know why. It would be easier for the mages to attack—”
“The mages will not know where you are each and every second of the day. Besides, they have only attacked you during events that were planned ahead, correct?” He leaned back and put his hands together on top of the table. “Meet with him today.”
“But he
