Darius walks in looking like he’s been through hell. His suit jacket is gone, his tie loosened, dark circles shadowing his eyes. He sees me, and his expression shifts—just for a second—before he crosses the room and drops to the floor in front of the couch.
He sits with his back against my knees, his head tilting back to rest on my thighs. His arms wrap around my calves like I’m the only thing keepinghim upright.
I set Cinnamon down next to me on the couch and run my fingers through Darius’s hair. It’s longer than it used to be, curling slightly at the ends. “Tough day?”
“They’re all tough lately.” His voice is muffled, exhausted. “My father made a mess of things. He spent years letting Zion use pack finances and covering up his petty crimes. I feel like I never really knew either of them.”
Under his exhaustion is grief, raw and aching, and my chest tightens in response. “And Zion?”
“No sign of him.”
My fingers stop moving. “He’s still out there?”
“Vanished. Like smoke.” He tilts his head back further to look up at me. “Taking over an entire pack like this is hard, Violet. Are you sure you don’t want to run away?”
I laugh lightly, lean down, and kiss him. It’s an awkward angle, my lips meeting his upside down, but it’s perfect. “No.”
“No?” He sounds surprised.
“I have friends here.” I point to the half-full wine glasses on the coffee table. “I have a life here. And the pack needs you.”
His gaze follows my gesture and takes in the evidence of my afternoon. “I can see Anne and Sienna visited you again.”
“Yes.” I move Cinnamon gently aside. She grumbles in her sleep but doesn’t wake up. Then, I part my legs so Darius can sit more comfortably between them, his back against the couch now.
He takes my hand and kisses my palm, his lips warm and soft. “Are you really happy, Violet? Because if you don’t want to stay here, we can leave. I told you, I’ll go anywhere you want.”
I slide my fingers through his hair again. “Darius, I’m here because I want to be. Because I love you.”
He goes completely still. Even his breathing stops.
“What’s wrong?” I lean forward, trying to see his face.
He swivels his head and looks up at me with wide eyes. “This is the first time you’ve said that to me.”
Oh. Oh, I guess it is.
My cheeks burn.
He turns all the way around and sits up on his knees so our faces are almost level. His palms cup my cheeks. “Say it again.”
“What?”
“Violet…” His voice breaks on my name.
I smile despite the sudden ache in my chest. I take his face in my hands, feel the rough stubble under my palms, see the vulnerability written plainly in his eyes. “I love you, Darius.”
Then, I kiss him.
Cinnamon wakes up with a startled yelp and scampers away, her claws clicking on the hardwood floor as she retreats to the bedroom. Darius doesn’t even notice. His fingers slide into my hair, and he nudges me back against the couch, his body coming up to cover mine.
He breaks away just enough to look at me, his pupils blown wide. He stares at me like I’ve given him something priceless, something he didn’t dare hope for. The exhaustion in his eyes transforms into something else entirely. Hunger. Need. Love so fierce, it steals my breath.
“Say it again.”
“I love you.”
His mouth crashes back to mine, demanding and desperate. He’s everywhere, sliding under my shirt, skimming up my sides. When he pulls the fabric over my head and tosses it to the floor, I’m already reaching for his tie.
