CHAPTER 44

Darius's POV

I couldn’t help but notice the tempest of emotions in her eyes as they glistened in the gentle moonlight coming through the window. The turmoil within me was reflected in the swirling sensations of guilt, need, and dread. She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to. I could see the questions burning in her gaze, and I hated that I was the cause of her pain.

“Maya,” I started, my voice rough and uneven. “I’m sorry for everything—for pushing you away, for thinking I could protect you by keeping my distance. I see now how much I’ve hurt you.”

Her mouth quivered, and she looked away for a second. Her eyes were full of tears when she turned to face me again. “You think sorry is enough, Darius?” she asked, her voice cracking with raw emotion. “Do you have any idea how it felt to be shut out by the one person I thought I could rely on?”

Even though the remarks were sharp, I didn’t recoil. I deserve them.

“I was scared.” I took a step closer and confessed. I’m scared of how much you mean to me. Of how much I have to lose if I let myself love you the way I want to.”

Her shoulders slumped as if she had been clinging to those words herself, and she released a tremulous breath. “And what about me? Do you think I wasn’t scared too? Every time I saw you walking away, I was terrified it would be the last time. But no matter what, Darius, I never stopped wanting you.”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and that was all it took for my resolve to shatter. In two strides, I closed the distance between us, cupping her face with both hands.

“I will never walk away again.” With great emotion in my speech, I vowed. “I can’t. Not from you.”

She looked into my eyes as if to find the truth in what I had said, and then she reached up and touched my jaw with her fingertips.

She muttered, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

But I wasn’t lying. Not this time. “This is a promise I’ll keep, Maya. Always.”

I denied her the opportunity to argue. I gave her a kiss, giving the connection everything I had. It was a purposeful confession in and of itself; it wasn’t hurried or desperate. I was totally undone by the way she kissed me back after her lips opened, soft and welcoming.

I moaned against her mouth as her hands moved up my chest and tangled in my hair. My heart raced because she tasted like fire and heaven, a deadly mix.

She broke the kiss just long enough to glance at me and say, “Darius.” Her breathing was erratic, and her cheeks were heated, but there was no mistaking the fire in her eyes. “Don’t stop.”

I was startled by the words, and I hoisted her with ease, her legs encircling my waist as if she were supposed to. I never broke our kiss as I carried her to the bed, and I was astounded to see her below me when I lay her down.

Her eyes had a mixture of hunger and fragility that made my heart race, her dark hair spread out on the pillow, and her lips were a little puffy from our kiss.

“You’re beautiful,” I said, my voice husky.

Her eyes were still doubtful, but her lips twitched into a hesitant smile. “Do you mean that?”

I pressed my lips to hers as I leaned down. “Every word. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if that’s what it takes.”

Like the first rays of light emerging from a storm, her laughing was gentle. “Then start now.”

I gave her another kiss, slower and deeper this time. The way her body arched into mine, the dip of her spine, and the curvature of her waist were all memorized by my wandering hands. She answered just as passionately, her hands searching every part of me as though she couldn’t get enough.

Our connection became more intense as the air became heavy with unsaid feelings. Every touch and word that was murmured was an expression of the emotions that we had both attempted to repress.

“I missed you,” she murmured against my neck, her voice barely audible.

“I missed you more,” I replied, my lips trailing down her collarbone. “You have no idea how much.”

The way her nails touched my back as she drew me in was intoxicating. “Then show me,” she continued her tone, a mix of tenderness and challenge.

And I did.

I poured all of my emotions into the way I held her, kissed her, and stroked her. I opened my defenses and let her see the unguarded, unadulterated sides of myself that I had long kept hidden. And she embraced me with just as much fervor, her gestures reflecting mine.

Our movements slowed as the night grew darker not because we weren’t desirous, but rather because of the intense emotional tension between us. Every caress and kiss was a secret vow.

Her fingertips traced the small scars on my skin as her head leaned against my chest “Do you ever think about the future, Darius?”

Her touch didn’t waver even if I tensed up a little.

“Sometimes,” I admitted, my voice a low rumble. “But it’s hard to picture one without chaos following at every turn.”

With a mixture of resolve and optimism in her eyes, she cocked her head to gaze up at me. “Perhaps we can alter that. Together.”

Her voice was frightening and reassuring in its certainty. “You make me believe it’s possible,” I said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Even when I know the odds are against us.”

Her lips curled slightly in a smile that gave me a pain in my chest. “Have we not faced worse?”

I drew her nearer as I nodded. “Yes, we have. And we’ll keep facing it. As long as I have you, Maya, I’ll fight for whatever future we can carve out.”

She nestled against me, her breathing evening out, but I couldn’t find the same peace. The weight of the pack, the looming threats, and the fragile bond between us weighed heavily on my mind.

But as her warmth infused me, I silently vowed to keep her safe at all costs.