She moaned when he finally stopped, then withdrew from her, his sticky come coating her thighs. It was a good thing Lycans didn’t carry diseases, which is why she didn’t ask him to wear a condom, plus their fertility rates were quite low. Except in the cases of True Mates.
Oh dear.
Was it even possible?
She racked her brain, trying to remember how True Mates knew each other. There was no definitive way to tell before that first coupling, which always resulted in a pregnancy.
Madre de dio.
The thought of having a baby with Darius, however, wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, she felt a warmth inside her just thinking about it. She glanced down at her stomach and imagined it full and heavy with their child.
“I hope that smile is for me,” he said as he kissed the side of her neck.
She glanced up at him. “Maybe.”
He pushed her down on the bed, then gathered her into his arms, pressing her back against his chest. “If not, then I will give you more reasons to smile.”
“I should hope so,” she said, her lips curling up. Dare she tell him what she suspected? Did he know about True Mates?
Of course, there was one more question that had been burning in her mind this entire time: Did he love her? Because, True Mates or not, she was pretty sure she loved him already.
“Now you are frowning,” he said. “Give me a few minutes and I promise I will make you forget your troubles.”
She sighed and settled back against him. Tomorrow, she told herself. There was always tomorrow. For now, she was going to enjoy tonight
Chapter Nineteen
When Darius woke up, it was still dark, but glancing at the clock, he saw it was five o’clock in the morning. Gingerly, he removed Adrianna’s arms which had tangled themselves around his torso and got up. As his vision adjusted to the darkness, he found his discarded clothes and put them on, keeping his movements minimal so as not to wake her.
He padded down the stairs and outside, then got into his vehicle. The bakery in town should have just opened. He wanted to surprise Adrianna with fresh pastries for breakfast. Surely, she would be hungry when she woke up. The drive over was quick and he was soon on his way back, a large pink box in his hand.
When he arrived yesterday, he was determined to stay away from her bed until he figured out a way to solve the problem of Anatoli’s betrayal. He could at least tell her later that he didn’t think it was right to sleep with her when he knew what had happened. It hurt him to act so cold around her, and at some point when he saw her with the other Alpha, he wondered if he even deserved her. She should be with someone like that man—rich, powerful, and able to give her everything she wanted. But, seeing her looking so achingly beautiful and knowing he had caused her to be so sad broke his resolve.
And now that he had Adrianna in his arms again, he wasn’t letting go. He would tell her everything and confess his feelings for her. It was a gamble, but this is what he had to work with. To wait any longer would destroy the fragile bond they had now.
When he entered through the back door, he didn’t expect to see her in the kitchen, the smell of brewing coffee in the air. Her thick dark hair was piled on top of her head and she wore a white silk robe, her feet left bare.
“You’re awake,” he said. He lifted his hand to show her the box. “I got breakfast.”
“Oh. Thank you.” She gave him a weak smile and opened the box.
The less than enthusiastic reception didn’t bother him too much. She certainly looked hungry enough, but seemed restrained as she took a tentative bite of a Danish. Maybe she needed some caffeine. “Is the coffee ready? Do you want to get ready for work soon?”
She swallowed the pastry and then shook her head. “I’m not going to work today.”
“You aren’t?”
“No.” She dusted her hands together. “I called off. Told them I deserved a day off today. I’m just so … tired.”
He knew what tired her out, of course. “Good,” he said. “Then you can spend the day resting in bed. With me.”
“I don’t think I’ll get much resting done,” she replied wryly.
They sat down to breakfast, and while he thought maybe she was just tired, he could see the change in her this morning. She was quiet and pensive, chewing each bite of food carefully and pondering every sip of coffee. He knew something was bothering her.
“What’s wrong?” he finally asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.
She looked up at him and blinked. “What? Nothing.”
He sighed then reached over to take her hand. She let out a sharp yelp when he pulled her out of her chair and settled her in his lap, her legs straddling his. “You cannot hide anything from me, Adrianna.” There was a tightness in his chest as he asked, “Do you regret last night?”
Her eyes flew open. “What? No.”
The tightness eased. “Good.” He searched her eyes. “Then you are having other doubts?”
“I … yes.” She bit her lip. “I’m having doubts about my … responsibilities in the future. And being able to cope with them.”
“Doubts? You?” He had never known a more confident and capable woman. “Adrianna, you were born to lead and be Alpha.”
She hesitated again. “No, I wasn’t. Not me. Lucas maybe, but me … I’ve always
