Darius and I sit in a restaurant nearby - Wolves' Business - sipping on red wine and eating beef stakes. It's our first date since we've gotten on good terms.
"What will we do about your mother's situation?" he stares at me in curiosity.
"I forgave her," I say. "I plan on having her in my life."
He tilts his head, getting beef on his fork. "It'll be a problem for our pack. Two men died chasing vampires not long ago."
"Don't you think I know that?" I frown. "It wasn't her. She never killed a werewolf," I demand. "She caused one death a long time ago. And she feels bad enough herself. How can I blame her?"
I remember the last conversation we've had....
She cried about Jamie not wanting to speak with her. "I wish... I wish I could see him just once. To tell him how much I regret what I've done."
"I know," I laid a hand over hers. "If you did have a chance to do it all over again..." I ask silently, "what would you've done?"
"I would've let them join," she swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I would've given your father permission to be his mate. I would've kept you with me. And he would have rights to see you whenever he wanted to."
I nod. "I trust it was hard to accept it. That your husband is being taken away from you by... some magic."
She shook her head. "Killing Valerie was the worst mistake of my life. If there's one thing I've learned in this life..." she smiled at me, "it's that you can't change one's destiny."
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you saying I should be with Darius?"
She pressed her lips. "No good can come from fighting what's meant to be your life."
"Some advice," I scoffed. "So if someone's being mistreated, he should just make his peace with it?" I shook my head.
"No, of course not," she cupped my hand with hers. "But you work it out. You owe that to him - you owe it to yourself, Lily. You told me yourself - you never went fully into it. You were one foot out the door from day one."
"You're right," I stared into the distance. "I was prejudicial from day one. Angry that any choice has been taken away from me. Angry at the loss of my freedom."
She nodded. "No one can understand that better than me. And I made a mistake of not giving a chance to my destiny. Look where that got me - I'm sure I would've been happier with any other outcome. At least I'd have you - my children," she sniffed. "I miss this warmth. The warmth of a living body," she inhaled deeply. "Now, all I have is regret and hatred from the ones I loved."
"If you forgave her, I'll forgive her," Darius sinks his teeth into the meat, "as simple as that."
I look at him with relief.
"How did your Dad take it?"
"He doesn't want to see her," I tilt my head. "I thought about it a lot, you know. Technically, I also kissed you while still engaged to Ian. So I know how hard it must've been for him. But I confessed right away. I never led him on. We broke it off immediately. Dad didn't. He decided to lie."
"Your Dad tried to stay with your mother even after he found out," Darius stares at me. "Only you had the privilege to make your own decision, whereas his mate's now gone. She took her from him. The old man was just dealt a bad card. He fell in love with your Mom and couldn't have known he'd find a mate sometime in the future."
"Regardless. I'm angry at him for lying to me. To both of us. He practically sabotaged our relationship because of the secret he wanted you to keep from me."
He gives me a seductive smirk. "Well, he didn't manage to do it. You're dating me now, aren't you?"
I slowly wrap my hands around his neck. "I sure am."
He rubs his lips over my thumb. "Is it too much to hope you're a lady that sleeps on a first date?"
I laugh. "Yes." My hands go down his shoulders...biceps... lower arms... until they find his warm palms. I place my small hands into his large rugged ones and smirk. "But for you I might make an exception."
"Waiter," he lifts his hand up, still staring at me. "I need a check. We're in a hurry."
"Right away, sir."
"No dessert?" I raise my eyebrow playfully.
He looks me up and down. "Oh, there's gonna be a lot of dessert."
I bite my lip. "How would you like to have me? Well cooked or...raw?"
"Just the way I had you last time," he says with a strained voice and I can tell he's getting excited as hell. "With some punishment on the side."
I raise an eyebrow. "I'm not into that shit."
"After tonight," he smirks. "You will be."
The waiter comes with a check and Darius settles it, then immediately gets up.
"We've got places to be," he lends me a hand as I stand up and then he leads our way outside the restaurant, holding me by the hand.
I feel like I'm making all the girls inside green with envy. But it feels so good.
We reach his black Range rover and he opens the door for me to enter.
"Your place or mine?" he smirks seductively as he takes the driver's seat.
"Mine. I've got a puppy waiting," I smile. I adopted Bruno yesterday, a pekingese mix that was wandering around my parents' guest house.
"Oh?" he squints in an amused way and I know he's thinking about puppies of our own as he starts the car.
"Plus, I don't really think Debra would enjoy the sound of furniture breaking," I chuckle.
He takes it seriously, though. "My mother lives at my place so that I can protect her," he states. "I have many enemies, Lila. You know not all of my pack supports me."
"I know," I nod. Darius took down the former alpha and some of the Carter pack members resent him for that. "I don't mind having Debra in the house," I add.
Many werewolves have joint families. Besides, our house is full of people all the time - Carters are the pack leaders. Also, Darius thinks no one can protect his family better than him. I'm somehow inclined to believe it as well.
He relaxes, then takes my hand into his to lay a kiss onto it.
"I imagine she'd be very helpful if two puppies of our own once run the house," I say and he literally burns up at my casual mention of our children. I know how much he wants a family - werewolves have a strong desire to procreate.
His eyes sparkle a little when he throws a glance at me. "Two?" he furrows his brows. "Pretty sure there's gonna be more than two."
I raise an eyebrow. "We'll see about that..."
He only smirks keeping eyes on the road.
He's so sexy when he does that.
#
As soon as we enter, Bruno jumps on me, barking with excitement. Darius crouches down to pick him up, then plays with him, smiling.
I observe his sharp masculine features, as if caressing his face with my eyes. I love to watch him when he doesn't notice. I can almost see his gentle side that he hides when someone's looking.
"What is it?" he asks, intrigued.
"Nothing," I shake my head, leaving my purse on the kitchen counter.
He lowers his head, staring at me from under his thick eyebrows. "We said no more secrets." His commanding tone is back. But I don't find it threatening anymore - it's a part of who he is. As long as he keeps respectful of me.
I lean in to whisper into his ear. "You're actually a marshmallow at heart."
He laughs. "Don't be fooled," he puts Bruno down and places a hand over the small of my back, "I'm that way for you only."
I stand on my toes and pull him into a kiss.
He abruptly lifts me up from under my armpits. I wrap my legs over his hips as he kisses me passionately, locking me against the wall.
His kiss trails down my neck, now kissing it roughly, biting a bit.
I moan with pleasure... "Darius..."
It's been so long...
His hands go under my dress and he pulls it over my head in one smooth movement. Gripping my wrists into his hand, he locks them over my head as his mouth search hungrily for my breasts.
I wiggle with passion, hardly waiting to have him inside me. I'm more than ready. It's been so long since we had sex the last time - ever since the pregnancy scare.
But he takes his time roughly sucking on my nipples, licking them, and gently biting...
I squeeze my legs tighter so that I can rub over his erection. I love feeling his hardness...
"Lila," he groans and shortly leers over me to meet my eyes. "Don't leave me again," he runs his finger over my lips, then ravages it with his mouth.
As he leaves my hands, I don't waste time. I find my way under his shirt and glide my fingers over his toned back, upwards. Then I slip them just under his belt and go forward, caressing his abs with one hand and unbuckling the belt with the other.
I go in and hold his hard penis, playing with it slowly.
He moans, letting me unwrap my legs and stand just long enough to get him rid of his jeans.
Then I pull my red lace panties aside and place his penis on my hot wetness.
He groans lustfully, placing his forehead onto mine.
"Make love to me," I whisper into his ear, licking it lightly.
He lifts me up again, each hand on my inner thigh, and spreads my legs across the wall.
I hold one hand over his biceps and with the other try to take his erection to put it inside me, but he beats me to it and simply slips it in before I even reach.
I moan loudly from sudden pleasure filling up every strand of my being. "Oh God..."
He breathes into my ear. "I want you to always be this wet for me."
"I will," I whisper, "I promise..."
He penetrates inside me, staring at me in the process. "Moan for me," he commands.
I do.
He walks with me to my bedroom, then throws us onto the bed, he on top.
"Don't stop," I beg as he increases the pace.
He smirks. "Never."
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