Darkyn's Mate

"If Darkyn ever, ever hurts you, you have a place to go."

"Thank you, Gabriel." She wasn't entirely convinced yet she wouldn't need the open invitation. Gabriel was disturbed. She wanted to cry again. Gabriel made her heart flutter; Darkyn made it fly.

The demon lord was gazing at her intently. Deidre held his gaze, wishing she knew the right answer to anything. A double-bond couldn't be broken, but did she want it to be? Yesterday, she saw the power she could have to help people from Hell.

Today, she had left, because the idea of eternity in the red desert with a creature incapable of caring for her was too much for her to bear. Standing between the men who could claim her as a mate at some point in the past week, she was caught in the need to taste Darkyn and the desire to have the love of an Immortal whose heart was never hers to start out with.

"We're done here," the Dark One said to Gabriel. "Send my regards to your mate."

Gabriel was still for a moment. A portal appeared behind him, and he left without another word.

Deidre watched the portal close.

"Come," Darkyn said.

He scared her. He probably always would, but she went to him. Deidre stopped only when they were toe-to-toe and leaned into him, needing the heat and solidness of his body to quiet her distress. She was ten seconds from fleeing. She nuzzled his neck, the scent of his blood intoxicating enough that her body relaxed in response. Darkyn nudged her in return, assuring her he wasn't angry. She was shaking from the experiences in her apartment.

"Why did you choose to come here?" he asked in a measured tone.

Deidre moved away from him. "I don't know."

"You do."

"I … I guess I keep hoping when I walk out of my apartment next time, things will be normal."

Darkyn trailed her. She leaned back against a counter. He planted a hand on either side of her, dark eyes piercing. She swallowed hard. His rugged features were unreadable.

"You know that's not the case." His tone was neither harsh nor teasing. Factual. The same way he wore down her resistance before.

"I know," she whispered. "Are you angry?"

"What reason do you think I have to be angry?" He tilted his head in a sign of genuine curiosity.

"That I left. That I came here. That I want to … to reset things. That I still have …" she stopped.

"… feelings for Gabriel."

She nodded.

"You want him. You need me. It's not a competition," he said simply. "As for the rest, you are working through the human stages of grief. But you've started to accept your fate." Darkyn nudged her head aside. "I'm hungry, not angry."