Darius smiled sheepishly when Serena came into view, his hair slightly tousled from the wind. Once he found out that Livia was the one who had knocked at the door, he knew he had to leave the room immediately. Serena acted a bit too nervous to dissuade Livia from entering into the room. She had held out long enough for him to slip out and fluff out his pillow.
He had briefly considered hiding in the wardrobe. The thought alone nearly made him grimace. Getting tangled up in a tangle of dresses, or worse, knocking something over– was not a risk he could afford. Besides, he doubted he could fit without bumping around like a trapped animal.
His first idea popped into his head; the window. It was the only viable option for him and he had no time to weigh his options, or lack of them. He moved to the window quickly and planted his hands firmly on the window sill. It had been ages since he had to do window jumping.
The last time, he and Livia had been little more than cubs, darting through the castle grounds in a feral game of hide and seek. They’d taken the games to absurd lengths, wagering sweets and chores, and once, a moose roasted to perfection on an open hearth. Darius had never been willing to lose that particular bet.
He swung his legs over the ledge, gripped the edge, and leaned out. The air was colder than he expected. His fingers curled tightly against the stone, and he edged along toward the nearest window. Below, the castle grounds spread out in eerie silence.
Darius held his breath and swung, pushing off with practiced confidence. His boots scraped the stone. One hand found the ledge; the other slipped.
His heart slammed once in his chest.
He blinked, repositioned, and caught himself on the other ledge. A few breathless moments later, he hauled himself through the next window, shoulders scraping slightly against the narrow frame.
He scanned the area cautiously and then sighed when he was sure no one was in the room. The echo of him cracking his joints filled the room. He frowned, it was a terrible thing that he could still horse as he liked in the castle, it was a dangerous thing for there to be such a large gap of time between guard changes.
Darius walked over to the window and stared down, still no guards there. He ’tsked’ and walked briskly to the door, he would sort all that out once he had seen Serena.
He inhaled deeply, the castle was still an amalgamation of different scents from different wolves in the castle, mostly his. He placed his hands behind his back and continued his short walk down the hallway.
Just then Livia turned to meet his gaze, she was not too far off from Serena’s door. She gasped and rushed over to his side.
"I just left Serena’s room now," Livia said, her voice lighter than her expression.
"I figured," Darius said. "I want to see her."
A small frown graced Livia’s lips. "You will have to cut out that attitude," Darius murmured in response to her expression.
"How? I can not. I just can-"
"Do you hate me and her that bad?" Official source is ɴovelfire.net
Livia looked up with wide eyes, her usual standoffish expression she had on whenever she was talking to anyone fell. "I do not hate you, how can you say that?"
"I’m under the impression you want Serena away from me," Darius said, voice low.
Livia’s fingers found a lock of her hair and began twisting it anxiously, a familiar tic she never quite outgrew. "Yes, that is what I want. Is that hard... is that what the bond feels like?"
Darius placed his hand on her shoulder and sighed. It pained him so that people he cared about could be at odds with one another . Anyone else and Darius would not care, but this was his last living family member he knew of.
"Livia..." he began softly. "It is very difficult for me, and I can’t grant your request."
The woman scoffed, her eyes dropping to the stone floor. "Sometimes I feel so selfish for asking this of you. In the beginning, you would’ve listened in a heartbeat. You’re just... acting like Uncle."
Darius blinked slowly. His hand dropped from her shoulder like it had been burned. Livia’s gaze snapped up, wide and horrified, her mouth parting as if to snatch the words back.
"Darius... that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry."
"It’s okay, Livia. I understand your concerns," Darius said solemnly.
Darius could not say anything more and he turned around and walked straight back to Serena’s room. He wrestled internally with himself. Why could he not say it was not true? That he was nothing like his father? But every time he looked at the mirror, he could swear that for a second he saw the reflection of his father staring back at him.
He swallowed as he lowered his hand and knocked on the door. Was he so selfish that he could not see his cousin’s line of reasoning? Was it some part of the curse that held onto him tighter?
He exhaled slowly as he waited for her to open the door. He tried to keep his mind away from Livia’s words. He rubbed the back of his head and lifted his gaze to the ceiling.
Was it a crime to entertain the thought of falling in love? Perhaps, that was the crime his father paid, but he understood the man now. He, too, would pay for this crime.
"Why did you jump out the window?" Serena asked as she opened the door.
She stood there with narrowed eyes, still dressed as before, her hair slightly tousled, her expression unamused but curious. Her hand brushed the edge of the door as she waited for his reply.
He met her gaze, and a small smile curved his lips. "Because I missed you that much."