Serena swallowed and then she looked down, his words had rang loud and clear in her ears. It was hard, but he had accepted that. Not only that, he had practically said his life was hers.
Her throat bobbed as she tried to hold back the swell rising inside her. A warm tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it, catching on her hand as she raised it to her face. Her breath stuttered as she pressed her fingers to her eyes.
Then, gently, she felt Darius’ hand wrap around her wrist. He eased her hand away from her face and gave her a small, quiet smile. Without a word, he tugged her towards him and tucked her into his chest.
Serena did not mind his hairs tickling her face. She loved listening to his heart beat at a steady pace. She closed her eyes briefly and let her hot tears drop onto his chest.
There was no screaming, there were no cold spells, nothing of the sort. Darius had not turned her away in the way that she thought he would be. He had simply swallowed the fact that she had had a lover in her past.
It would have been foolish of her to assume that Darius had absolutely no thought towards the situation, but he had shoved them aside to make her feel comfort.
She did not want to ruin the moment with apologies or thanks; it did not call for it. The pair sat in silence except for the occasional chirping of a bird next to the window.
Darius ran his fingers through her hair with slow, thoughtful motions, his eyes fixed somewhere distant. This was such a strange one for him, how different was he from Serena’s late husband? He could not help but compare himself with this man he had never met and that was six feet under already.
Darius wondered if she would let him mark her. Would it be too much for her to bear? And yet another long list of things Darius would never get the answer to. It would be in his best interest that he knew nothing about the man who was once married to his beautiful lady.
He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. His hand was active in her hair and he did not stop stroking it. He wondered what this would spell out for them. A little part of him he did not want to acknowledge was the fact that she could have been lying to him or withholding information all this time.
His hand settled on her shoulder and he closed his eyes once more. He felt calm in this moment. These two could deal with this another time.
His mind went to the little meeting held right after Serena had given her speech yesterday. The council was to meet, as well as Emmett, Livia, Charlotte, and Serena.
Darius’ hand moved to her back and he pulled her closer to himself. "We have a meeting today."
Serena sniffed and slowly pulled back, her lashes still damp as she looked into his eyes. "A meeting?" New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel fire.net
Darius nodded and held his chin in his hand. "A council meeting, our final one before we are no longer alone. We have things to go over. I need everyone’s story straight."
"I see," Serena murmured, her gaze flickering downward. "And I am to come?"
"Yes. You are the centerpiece," he said without hesitation.
Serena nodded slowly. This looked like the first time that she was being tied directly into their affairs, and it felt nice. It would be a lot facing the council, not a trial as before, but with them to make a decision.
"There is still no idea of when the delegate would arrive?" Serena asked.
Darius had not received any reports of unrest at the borders, neither had he received a report concerning a messenger who would be sent ahead of the delegate. It was all a waiting game, and he would be caught unarmed.
Darius pulled her closer and placed his cheek on her forehead and closed his eyes for a few seconds. He would have to leave soon to prepare.
He pulled away and gazed into her eyes. Her words still rang at the back of his head, but he ignored it. At least he knew now.
"I don’t expect the meeting to run long," Darius said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But eat something before you’re summoned. Everyone will be there. I’ll be there too. Do not mince your words, no one will eat you."
That earned a smile from Serena, and she bowed her head slightly, "I will not."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a firm embrace before rising from the bed. "I’ll see you soon."
She stood barefoot on the rug, arms folded, chin resting in her hand as she studied her options with furrowed brows. A dark green dress, a light red one, and a dark orange piece. Her palms pressed lightly to her hips as she sighed and scanned over them again.
Her doorknob twisted and she looked up quickly. Who would have opened her door first before knocking? Serena stepped cautiously toward it, hand hovering near the dresser out of habit, but then her eyes landed on a familiar face.
Her breath caught before breaking into a smile. She moved quickly and wrapped Annamarie in a hug, pulling her close with a soft gasp.
"I wasn’t expecting to see you here," Serena said, a light laugh escaping her lips.
Anna pulled away just enough to push her hair behind her ear, grinning wide. "Did you miss me?"
"Oh I did. I am so glad to see you here." Serena held her hands in hers and squeezed them lightly. "You came with your father?"
Annamarie’s eyes widened slightly before she smiled. "I did. It would be a shame to pass on an opportunity to see my dear friend."