Page 8 of Darius

“Only to get attacked.” Anger blasted through Darius. Afraid he would unwittingly hurt his mate; Darius released her and stalked away to create some room between them.

“Are you okay?”

“No. I’m pissed.”

“At me?” she asked.

“No, Little girl. Not at you.”

“Little girl?” she whispered.

Darius kicked himself as she shrank in on herself. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped backward. When she turned to face the door, he called on his vampiric speed to dash around her. When he appeared in front of the door, Mara recoiled from him.

Fuck! He was handling this poorly.

Darius held his hands up to signal to her he meant no harm. “Mara, I will not hurt you. You are my mate. I would gnaw my arm off to make sure you’re safe.”

“I’ve told you what I needed to share. I should leave.” She focused on the carpet as she reached into her pocket. When she pulled them back out, she held her keys. Darius hated to see her automatically adjust the metal strips so that they jutted between her fingers like a defensive weapon.

“Mara. Look at me, please.”

She shook her head. “I’m going to head out.”

“Mara.” Darius didn’t move away from the door.

She lifted her face, revealing that her eyes welled with unshed tears. His heart ached inside his chest. Darius needed to make this better. “Mara, you are my mate. You will feel better if we stay close to each other.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty fantastic right now.”

“I have searched for my Little girl for almost two hundred years. You are precious to me.”

“Two hundred years, right.”

Darius allowed his fangs to lower as he held her gaze. “I was created when I was thirty-seven. Vampires age much slower than humans.”

She didn’t shrink away from him but stiffened her spine once again. “You don’t think I’ve been through enough tonight?”

“Yes. I won’t add lying to you to make the situation worse. Vampires have the possibility of a special bond. A mate. Most never find their mate due to location or timing. When we do, the mating bond is celebrated.”

“They wished us congratulations,” she whispered.

“Yes. My clan is pleased for us.”

“Clan? Do you expect me to believe you’re all vampires?” Her light brown eyes blazed with anger. His mate was as strong-willed as she was lovely. He wanted to thread his fingers through her shiny brown hair and draw her close, but forced himself to answer her questions. She deserved the truth.

“Not everyone here at Nightfall is a vampire. We have many human employees as well.”

“How do you know I’m your mate?”

“If you’ll allow me to touch you again?” he asked.

When she nodded hesitantly, he wrapped his fingers around hers and lifted Mara’s hand to his lips. Her face flushed with heat as she shifted before him, squeezing her thighs together. “Have you ever responded to anyone this strongly?”

She shook her head as if not trusting herself to answer.

“That striking attraction is one signal of finding one’s mate.” He pressed her palm to his chest. “I’m also aroused by you more than anyone else.”

Holding her gaze, he spoke directly to her mind. You are my mate, Mara. We are linked more than physically.