Alison laughed and took over the conversation. “The woman abuser was an ex of mine who later started pursuing me again because he was angry he couldn’t have Sarina. It was all one big, complicated as hell mess, but it’s over now. He’s sitting in a cell and won’t ever be coming out of it again.”
“Damn straight.” Sarina cheered and high fived Alison. Turning back to Cassie she said, “So about the sex...”
“No!” Vera said, a shiver of disgust rolling through her. Cassie laughed at them all. This camaraderie they had was always something she’d wanted.
“The Kategans will protect you.” Cassie turned a startled look to Vera. She looked so serious, they all did. “You don’t need to hide with us. You can tell us anything. It’s all up to you, but just know that we really do care.”
“I don’t know why you would,” Cassie heard herself saying.
“Because we’re nice people, but also because you brought something precious back to us,” Vera said. Her voice clouded with emotion. “Darien’s been lost to us for so long. This is the first time any of us have seen a glimpse of what he used to be.”
Cassie couldn’t hide the shock on her face. “Wait, you mean to tell me that the gruff, tight-lipped lykaen is just how he is?”
Vera broke out in laughter. “Yes! That’s exactly how he is. Well, okay, maybe not totally. Add in a couple of smiles, some insane generosity and sweetness, and you got it.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve been trying to reach through to him since I met him. I don’t really think I’ve gotten anywhere. Just once though he did finally tell me about the...problem from his past but I think I was just lucky. J sot of happened upon him at the right time. That’s all.”
Vera’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her skull. “He told you about Dana? Wow, see. He never talks about it. We know about it, but when the accident happened we mostly heard about it from her family. Her brother Tom especially, man was he a dick. He blamed Darien for the whole thing.”
“The man’s crazy for you,” Alison piped in.
“No he’s not. I’m just an inconvenience for him now.”
“Why do you say that?” Sarina asked.
Cassie shot a look at Vera who threw up her hands and said, “Fine, fine. I’m going to the bathroom. Any and all sex talk about my brother needs to be done now. I don’t want to hear a peep about it when I get back.”
As soon as she was gone, Alison bounced in her seat. “Oh my God, dish the details. That man is huge.”
Sarina rolled her eyes. “All the Kategan men are huge, Ali. Darien is just...a little more imposing. It’s all that bad attitude he carries around him.”
“He’s not all bad though. He’s actually really sweet. After the...thing with Conlin he was there when I woke up. He carried me down to Rome’s room so I could be with him.” She had a soft, happy smile on her face that Cassie was completely jealous of.
“He doesn’t even like me,” she blurted out.
“What? Of course he does. Why do you say that?” asked Sarina. She blushed.
“No, he doesn’t. He’s tried to get me to leave from the moment I woke up. I refused because he just intrigued me. And okay, he’s really, really sexy. I’ve never met a lykaen before him.”
“Wow, really?” Alison asked.
“Really. He’s only trying to help me now because...because we,” her face burned hot and finally she had to look away.
“Because you guys had sex? Was it amazing? Seriously, do tell. Because Rome is just devastating in bed. I can hardly keep my hands off him, honest.” Cassie thought on the couple of times they’d had sex. It’d been smoldering, sexy, passionate, and beautiful.
“I loved it more than anything,” she finally said softly. The girls smiled at her and sighed at the same time. Just then Vera came back to the table with her fingers plugged in her ears.
“Is it safe?”
They all nodded. “All right let’s get out of here,” Vera said.
“So what are our plans for today?” Boy did it feel weird asking that.
“Clean up these dishes, then it’s off to a Twilight and Harry Potter marathon at Sarina’s place until the sun goes down enough that we can start drinking without looking like crazy people.”
Cassie looked at Sarina. “But what about you?” Sarina patted her rounded belly lovingly.
“Don’t worry. I’m in a milk faze, so tonight I’ll be having my share of chocolate and strawberry milk.”
“Cassie, would you be a doll and go start the car. It’s getting chilly out lately and me and the baby just can’t stand it.”
“Sure. See you in a few.” Cassie left the girls to clear up their lunch while she went out to Vera’s car. She smelled him the instant before he slammed her into the trunk.
She spun around, her heart beating painfully hard in her chest. All the blood drained from her face.
“I’ve found you, Cassandra. How easy you are to track now that I know you’ve been fucking that lykaen. Do you think he can protect you? Is that why you’re hiding behind him like a scared child?”
She shook her head. “N-no.” Suddenly she heard the girls inside leaving the kitchen. “You have to get out of here now. Please,” she said desperately.
He only stood there, even as their footsteps got closer and closer. Any minute now and they’d all be in danger. He’d kill them all without a single regret.
He smiled at her, his fangs terrifying in that moment. “We’ll be together soon, Cassandra.” He grabbed her chin in a bruising hard grip. “And you will never leave me again. I know where you are now. There is no hiding from me.”
Cassie’s eyes filled with tears at the pain. The door opened, and he let go of her and sprinting away in the blink of an eye.
“Cassie are you all right?”
“Fine,” she said numbly. The girls crowded around her.
“What happened to your chin?”
“Why do you look so scared?”
She shooed them off with false smile. “It’s nothing. I just tripped and hit the concrete. Sorry I didn’t get the car started for you, Sarina.”
She waved it away and hugged her tight. Cassie hesitated, then hugged her back. They all piled into the car, and she wanted nothing more than to run and hide.
Chapter 12
“It’s good to have you back,” Vane said, clapping Darien on the back.
A smile tugged at Darien’s lips. It felt good to be back, though he didn’t say so. He’d be leaving just as soon as everything was taken care of with Cassie. There was no use in hurting his family any more.
Rome took a swig of his beer and said, “You can’t fix your problems by staying away, Darien.”
“Maybe I can’t, but I can’t fix them staying here either.”
Rome shrugged a big shoulder. “How do you know that when you never even tried? The thing happened with Dana and then you were out of here so fast, none of us were even sure what happened.”
Darien ground his teeth together. It was none of their business. It wasn’t then, and it wasn’t now.
“Did you love her that much?” Vane asked. There was no hostility in his voice, only curiosity. Still, Darien hated him for asking. Because right now he was being pulled apart inside over that same question.
“I wanted to mate with her.”
Vane grimaced and chugged some of his brew. “Ouch.”
Darien couldn’t help it, he laughed. His brother’s response was so inadequate, so surprisingly underwhelming that all of them burst out laughing. It almost felt like old times again. Before the mess in his life happened.