Embracing Pain (Book Three)

Chapter 3

The sun blaring in woke them both up at the same time. Deva was no praying for the cloud coverage that she had once wished away. 

"I don't want to wake up yet," she whined like a child. 

"Then pretend I'm the moon," his husky voice echoed while he threw the covers over their heads. "And we're still in the night."

Her lips curved into a smile. It was times like these that made her fall in love with Darius all over again. 

Her exhausted body melted into his. "It's not the same."

"I can fix that." He captured her lips and took over her mind. 

When Deva opened her eyes again it was dark. Pulling the covers down to look out, she found the moon high in the night sky. Darius had used his ability to pull her into his creative world.

"I love when you use your powers for good." 

He chuckled because she made it sound like he was a superhero. "You're everything good about me." 

No matter how cheesy his lines were they always made her weak at the knees. "Last night went well." 

He wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or real. "Well enough. I'm sorry Rathguard disrespected you. He's always been an asshole for as long as I can remember." 

"He and your father must have gotten along really well." 

Darius started to tickle the skin on her hip. "Yes. They were really close." 

"But Alexander seems nice." 

He nodded. "He's much more open minded than his father."

"Yes I noticed." But it still made her wonder about the future. "Do you think he'll make a good king?" 

Darius thought about it for a moment before responding. "I do. He's fair and just. Its his father corrupting him I'm worried about." 

But would he be fair and just to lycans too. Darius saw her concern and tried kissing her worries away. "Don't worry about it Deva. Everything is going to be ok." 

Deva quickly changed her morbid mood. "Do you have to work today?" 

"No. I promised Alcide I would help him make a kite." Darius got up and stretched. "But I do have a few calls I need to make." 

"I'll take a shower then." 

The hot water was exactly what she needed to wash away last night and all its awful and then wonderful memories. She wasn't sure how long she was in the shower for but when she got out she found Darius sitting on the couch and the sun back in the sky.

"So I was thinking sweetheart, maybe we should take Alcide and go on a family vacation." 

That stopped her in her tracks. It was a random subject to bring up. 

"Why's that?" 

His eyes met hers but they were too soft with remorse. "Because Alcide hasn't seen the outside of these walls." 

That was true. She wanted so badly to show Alcide the world but it was never the right time. Why was he bringing it up all of a sudden? Something didn't feel right.  

Deva focused all her attention on her husband but examining him more thoroughly only convinced her he wasn't who she thought he was. 

It was easy to confuse the three identical royal brothers but Deva always found a way to see right through them. The man in her room wasn't Darius.