He shook his head, moving closer still and part of me – a really fucking big part – wanted to wrap my arms around him like the bond was still driving us together. It wasn’t some magical force guiding it this time though, it was the purest kind of friendship, and love for a man I had shared my hardest days with.
“Come on, Darius!” Max called from Caleb’s bedroom, but Darius didn’t turn his gaze from mine.
“They’re waiting for you,” I muttered, but Darius only stepped closer to me.
“I think I’m gonna take a nap,” he said, giving me a pointed look. Those words so damn familiar to me from all the years we’d been bonded, and they had always meant one thing before now.
“Oh yeah?” I questioned, frowning uncertainly at the implication in his words. Did he want what I think he wanted?
He nodded, stepping past me and heading toward his room further up the corridor. I watched him go and as he made it there, he looked back at me, inclining his head towards the door in an offering. A smile quirked up my lips that he immediately mirrored, and I started walking after him, quickening my pace as he pushed through the door and I followed.
He dropped onto the large bed at the heart of the room, scooping some gold jewellery off of his nightstand and starting to put on the large bangles, chunky necklaces and rings as I kicked my shoes off.
“Are you sure?” I asked and he nodded again, making my grin widen further before I dove onto the bed to join him.
He lunged at me, trying to wrestle me into being the little spoon, but I didn’t have to do his damn bidding anymore so I fought back and the two of us wrestled like Wolf pups, starting to laugh as we threw a few playful punches too.
We eventually settled on laying side by side, our heads resting on the same pillow as the piece of my soul which had been missing finally settled back into place.
I could see the peace in his eyes as we looked at each other and happiness caressed my heart over having my friend back. Entirely on our own terms.
“Is this weird?” he asked.
“Definitely,” I confirmed. “Maybe we’ve both got a few pack animals in our ancestry.”
“Yeah, let’s go with that,” Darius said on a bark of laughter.
“Don’t tell Seth that though,” I warned. “He’s been trying to force hugs on me and I refuse to give in.”
“Ha, the day you cuddle Seth will be the day my father hands over the throne with a nice little bow on it.”
“Maybe you could remind him of that, because dog boy seems to enjoy my company far too much for my liking,” I said with a grimace and Darius snorted, reaching out to tussle my hair.
“Maybe you should cut him some slack,” he suggested.
“Why?” I snarled instantly, my hackles rising. “He fucked with me and Darcy when we were hiding our relationship, he could have easily been the one to give us away. And even though I know it wasn’t him, I’m still not convinced he never would have outed us purely for his own sick amusement.”
“Yeah, he’s an asshole, but he wouldn’t have sold you out. He just likes playing god sometimes. He gets high on power, like pretty much all of our kind. And look, I’m not saying what he did is forgivable. But what he’s done since might be enough to make up for it.”
“And what’s that?” I demanded.
“You know all those photos and shit he sent you of him and Gw-” I bared my fangs at him and he changed direction mid-word, “-Darcy? They were a game to make you jealous so that you’d fight for her. He’s been boasting about it ever since you two made up. He thinks he can take all the credit for your entire ongoing relationship. I’m surprised he hasn’t told you himself yet.”
I narrowed my gaze, hunting for the lie, but it looked like Darius really believed that.
“Bullshit,” I hissed. “And even if that was true, you think I’d thank him for it? For fucking with my head, for making me think he – that he and her-” A snarl ripped from my throat as I was unable to contain the utter, murderous rage I felt over the mere idea of them together.
“Well, it worked, didn’t it?” Darius raised an eyebrow, the smirk on his lips telling me exactly whose side he was on.
“How long have you known about this?” I asked in a suspicious tone, my eyes sharpening on my best friend.
“Since you asked me to find out if there was anything going on between the two of them.” He shrugged innocently.
A beat of angry silence passed then I lunged at him and we fell into another furious fight for dominance. I used my Vampire strength to slam him down onto the mattress beneath me by the throat and he threw a punch into my ribs that forced the air from my lungs, a big ass smile still on his face.