Blood Legacy Chapter 102: 100. Darius

"I still don't like you," she pointed an accusatory finger at him, her sweet face scrunched up so adorably with an overly-exaggerated look of vexation.

*Aww. You wound me, little doe.*

"Just because you made me laugh once that doesn't mean that we're friends now. You're still my captor," her arms crossed over her chest and that large and fluffy bathrobe gently slid off of one shoulder, revealing a little bit of golden skin. Her delicate collarbone. The column of her neck.

Goddess, she was beautiful.

"Carina," he paused and simply looked at her for a moment, not missing the way her body gave away the tiniest shiver at the sound of her name rolling off his tongue so tenderly.

"I'm not gonna be keeping you here forever. You will see your family and friends again," he softly said and those doe eyes grew in size a little, surprise written all over her face.

Fuck. She really did think of him as a monster.

"Just let me..." *Let you what?* His consciousness spat back at him, guilt and regret already gnawing at him. He'd kidnapped her, taken her away from the people she knew and loved and now he had requests.

*Can you stoop any lower, Darius?*

No. He wouldn't say it. He couldn't. It would be too much great of a risk. He'd already fucked-up once when he took that rash decision of whisking her away. He couldn't afford another mistake. One was more than enough.

"Let me train you first. Help you harness your magic," he smoothly said, mentally high-fiving himself for coming up with such a clever excuse.

She needed that. And he knew it pretty well. Lysander hadn't even bothered to properly explain to her what their magic was or how it worked. It would be the perfect way to make her start trusting him if he helped her.

*The perfect way to help her feel it.*

He closely observed her, sensing those gears spinning in her pretty little head as she quietly stared right back at him, pondering for a moment.

"Deal,"

He'd almost thrown a victorious fist up in the air at the sound of that, thankfully able to refrain himself as he stood there, calm and steady, offering her the tiniest smile.

"But first, I believe you have some explanations to give," his mood turned serious and grave, watching her small and sensual lips part with evident surprise and confusion.

"What the hell was that all about?" He pointed a finger in the direction of the lake, those bitter feelings of utter helplessness and frustration making their faint comeback within him. Never in his entire life had he ever felt so scared. So despondent. His wolf had been writhing with agony inside of him. He didn't even want to think about what would've happened, had he...

No. He couldn't think about that. He refused to.

"Were you trying to..." Gods. He couldn't say it. His very soul hurt too much at the merest imply.

Her azure blue eyes widened, visibly lost for words as she simply stared back at him, utterly still and quiet.

"Why would you..." he sharply inhaled through his nose as that thought hurt too much and he stepped closer, his features hardening with determination.

"You know what? No. I'm done with this,"

"I will force-feed you and tie you up on that bed if I have to, but I'm not letting you torture yourself like that. Ever again," he swore with conviction, set on showing her that he meant every single word. He was not going to let her starve herself like that ever again. He would force her to function like a normal human being if he had to, but he wouldn't let her go down that destructive path again. She was his-

"What?" He abruptly stopped upon noticing that dumbfounded look on her face, his brows furrowing with curiosity.

Her cheeks had grown so furiously red, the faintest hint of arousal reaching his nostrils.

Sweet Gods.

"Oh for fuck's sake, obviously, not like that! I was talking about sleeping, Carina, get your head out of the gutter," he complained with annoyance, his nether regions though tightening so painfully as he couldn't stop that wave of lust that washed over him. She was already beginning to feel it. That desire for him. That need to be close to him. And all that without even realizing it. It was so glaringly clear. The fact that she had absolutely no idea what was happening to her. Inside of her. She'd spent such little time in his presence and yet already, that connection was starting to grow stronger. More demanding.

Her eyes narrowed and he blinked with surprise, curiously watching her.

"Uh, and how does that sound any better?" Her head tilted to the side and he sensed that hint of mirth poking at her, realizing that she was trying to taunt him.

Oh, and how it was working. He was already so painfully hard underneath that poor pillow. Any harder and he'd poke a damn hole through it. Her earlier display of appreciation for his cooking had him nearly bursting into his pants. She'd moaned and licked at that spoon with such fervour and passion, giving his vast imagination wings to fly and even a wicked turn as he ended up picturing all kinds of nasty images that involved her being completely naked and at his mercy. On her knees. Underneath him. Spread over that counter like a tasty buffet. And so much so.

"You should chill, dude. You're totally making it worse for yourself," she said with a mild shake of her head, that beautiful and jesting smile tugging at her lips as she visibly fought so hard not to show it and he expressed one of his own, too enamoured of this childish and playful side of her.

He would never admit it but he liked it. He liked her making jokes and clever remarks, even if they were at his own expense. He liked it because at least that way he could see her smile. Hear her beautiful laughter. And he'd found himself to be enjoying it so much. It was one of his most favorite sounds in the world. That and her delighted moans.