Darcy Branwyn

Late morning the next day, Danielle found herself stirring cream in coffee she couldn’t remember having poured in the first place. She realized she was flying on autopilot.

She and Lothar had spent all night in the forest. A heavy rain had made hunting for vampires by scent frustrating, so they’d settled on a quick meal of small game and then patrolled the forest around town, keeping it safe until sunrise.

She sat at the table and over-stirred her coffee, wondering if she should go into town and make sure Nick stayed out of trouble. She only needed four hours of sleep, but if she made a habit of spending all night in the forest and all day watching Nick, she would lose her edge.

 Lothar glanced up from his laptop. “Male will come for you.”

“I wasn’t thinking about him.” She set aside her spoon and took a sip. “Well, I was, but not like you’re thinking.”

“What is it I think?” He looked at his computer screen, effectively avoiding eye contact.   

“That I have an obsession with him. But I don’t. I’m just trying to keep him alive.” She needed to change the subject. “Find anything?”

He turned the laptop so she could see the screen. He was studying a topographical map of the surrounding wilderness. He pointed. “They must be spending the daylight hours here. The caves go on for miles. If they catch our scent around their sleeping quarters, they’ll abandon them.”

“No point in our searching.”

“Best watch the exits, and be ready when they wake.” He brought up the weather report. “More rain.”

Danielle tapped her finger on the tabletop. “Hopefully, it’ll keep Nick out of the forest.”

His brows lifted.

“How am I supposed to focus when I’m busy keeping him alive?”

“Females with mates do not hunt monsters.”

“Yeah, because they abandon hunting to have kids. But what if I really don’t want to leave my job.”

“It’s illegal not to.”

“No kidding.” She sighed. Didn’t they already have this conversation? Of course, she’d probably confused the heck out of him by spending time with Nick. “Sometimes, it’s hard to tell whose side you’re on here,” she said more quietly, not really knowing what she wanted anyway. She didn’t want to leave her job or to have kids. She wanted her partner to be free of judgment from his uncle however, and Nick could make that happen. And so could her children.

“What were you hoping?” he asked.

Good question. She shrugged. “That you’d be on my side.”

He smiled wryly. “Always on side, Darling. I want to see all your sides.”

She was sure that hadn’t come out right, so she let it go. “Thanks.”

She sighed again, staring at her coffee, not drinking it, even though it was the one human habit she actually enjoyed. Too bad Lothar had never come out and told her he wasn’t interested in her physically. Then she could mourn the loss of her fantasy and be done with it.

When they’d returned tired and wet that morning, he’d patiently stayed up with her while she vented about Nick, mortals in general, and how annoying it was to have pheromones in the first place. Now he was practically pushing Nick on her.

“You look at Nick like you hate him, but you… This morning you were willing enough to let me spew. Now you act like everything’s decided with him. But it’s not.”

“I do hate him.”

There it was again. But was it out of loyalty as her alpha, or was there more?

“I think that’s illegal too,” she said.

“You are strong,” he continued, that r of his rolling until her stomach flipped. His eyes darkened a shade. “And willful. Your children are needed.”

“Being pregnant with two or three little bundles of joy at the same time sounds more like a curse than a blessing.”

“Matter of perspective,” he said. She thought she saw something behind his eyes, but she wasn’t sure what. “Do your best, but I know you’ll be divided.”

“That’s for sure.” He had no idea why. Was the man clueless, or was she that bad at expressing her feelings?

Danielle stared at him while he was preoccupied by his computer. God, he was beautiful. She’d been staring at him literally for years, and had never gotten enough. Her heart gave a squeeze. If he only knew that she’d do anything just to stay by his side.

She was pathetically loyal. So much that she couldn’t tell him. It was too embarrassing.

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