Page 30 of Dark Goodbye

My lips part as a soft plea nearly slips through, but I hold back, not wanting him to know just how desperately I want him to continue standing there, enveloping me in his bubble of safety. Fingers trembling, I reach under my gown to move my underwear as I glance over at Davix, watching as he turns his back to me.

CHAPTER 13

Ladria

My breaths come in haggard pants as I sit there, everything poised and ready, but not releasing. Even in the commune I had enough privacy to go to the bathroom without interference. How dare he humiliate me like this? But deep down, there’s a kernel of gratitude, one that I try desperately to ignore.

No one else would have cared enough to follow me in here, to make sure I was actually okay. Or would they have? It’s a question I won’t be able to answer until I can get back to the commune… If I get back to the commune.

“I don’t hear anything.”

Heat licks up the side of my face as I bare down, not wanting to add to this punishment that looms over me. Punishment… just thinking the word sends tingles down my body. What the hell is wrong with me? No one should get turned on by the threat of punishment.

Dragging a deep breath in through my nose, I force my brain to separate, to focus on something else, something far more innocent. In my mind’s eye, I conjure up the commune. No doubt the fellow members were gathering into their small groups, preparing for dinner by the myriad of fires burning.

What would tonight’s dinner be? Surely the hunters brought back lots of meat to divide out amongst everyone there. My stomach clenches at the very thought of food, making my head swim for a moment. Perhaps it’s good that I’m not forcing greasy meat into my mouth. I’d probably just throw it up.

Soon, my insides relax just enough to allow me to go, bringing a sigh of relief to my lips. It takes some maneuvering, but I even manage to clean myself without lifting the gown high enough that I expose myself. Not that Davix is looking. Somehow, he remains a perfect gentleman… too perfect.

“You can turn around now.” Lifting myself from the toilet, I wash my hands, glancing up at his reflection in the mirror.

He walks up behind me until his chest brushes the top of my upper back. “You’re just as beautiful as the last time I saw you.” Pain lights up his eyes as he leans forward, easing his arms about my waist.

Exhaustion slams into me at that simple movement, his strong arms holding me, pulling me even closer to him. It’s so easy to just allow him to take the burden, to give him all the pain and anxiety that’s plagued me since I was first brought back to Stanlion in chains.

“You’re being kind,” I murmur, staring at the mirror.

He’s not the only one that’s aged. Somehow, in the span of three years, I’ve gone from an awkward, bumbling child, to a woman that’s seen far too much. Reaching up, I draw my fingers across my cheeks, pulling them up, only to watch them sag once more.

At eighteen, I should still have that dewy glow of youth, the bright wonderment of a future lightening my eyes. But it’s not there. Everything is just dull and hollow, a shadow of the woman that ran just three years ago.

With soft motions, Davix turns me in his arms, sliding his thumb under my chin to force my gaze to his. “You are unkind to yourself, and I will not allow that. If I have to pick a feature about you every day, I would still never run out of things to say about you.”

A soft snort peppers the air as I squirm against him, disliking where this line of conversation is going. “Pretty words are not going to get me to beg you any quicker. You should save your breath for another omega that wants to hear them.”

When he pulls back, it’s like a knife to my heart. “When are you going to understand that there is no other omega? I chose you, even before you ran. And when you left-.” His voice cracks for a moment before he clears his throat and tries again. “When you left, you took a piece of me with you.”

I stare up into his eyes, watching as they mist over, mirroring the thick emotion infusing his words. Could it be that he does actually care about me in ways that aren’t just carnal?

“I had to. You know I had to.”

“No,” he sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t know that. All I know is you were gone. The one person that made life tolerable. And then… to see you with Malus as he hurt you. I-. It’s all too much.” Once more, he reaches out for me, drawing me back into the shelter of his arms. “Just know that he won’t ever be able to hurt you again.”

Freezing, I replay Davix’s words in my head. For a moment, it’s as if they have no meaning. They’re just guttural sounds spilling from perfect lips. Then, as if those sounds finally become coherent, it hits me. “You killed him?”

“I would kill the king himself if it meant keeping you safe.”

We both still as his pronouncement hangs heavy in the air. Treasonous words spoken in love are still dangerous. Glancing about, I look for either Mogen or this chef he spoke about, but we’re still both alone in this massive bathroom.

“Don’t worry,” he chuckles, angling his head down toward mine. “It will never have to come to that. And my house is a safe space. No one here will say anything to anyone.” A soft smirk tilts his lips into a boyish grin, nearly erasing the stress from his face. “Besides, they have to be loyal. With you as my captive, I have to ensure that no one will let their tongues waggle too much.”

My heart thumps in my chest as I watch him, noting the humor in his eyes. I want so desperately to kiss him, to show him my gratitude for allowing me to sleep in peace knowing my tormentor is no more. Would one kiss be bad? Would it undermine everything?

Before I can lose my nerve, I lean up and brush my lips against his, gasping at the foreign feeling of his beard rasping against my chin. I try to pull away, but his arm tightens around my waist, holding me against the immovable wall of his chest. My breaths come in gasps as he takes control, sliding his lips against mine in a slow, aching caress.

Slick gathers at the juncture of my thighs as he deepens the kiss, pressing his mouth against mine before snaking out his tongue to lap at the seam. With the insistent pressure of his hand resting against my low back, I’m unable to pull away, to break the spell threatening to weave itself around us.

Eventually, he pulls away, leaving me a quivering, needy mess. His eyes nearly glow as he looks down at me, his chest heaving as if there’s not enough oxygen in the room. “Gods, I’ve wanted to do that for so fucking long.”