Darcy Branwyn

Songs from my playlist: Falling (In and out of love.)

After years of thinking she’d been friend-zoned, Danielle has had it. It’s pretty obvious to Nick and Kendra that Lothar is in love with her but she can’t see it, and Lothar is duty bound by that very love to protect her life, even if that means breaking her heart. (Quick note, Lothar’s accent gets really bad when he’s tense, those aren’t typos. 😉)

…He growled and she followed, matching his intensity. “Think I like this?” he asked.

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” They circled each other, two predators face to face. “You confuse me, and I don’t know what’s going on.”

“I stayed like I promised. But you stopped needing me a long time ago. Now is time I move on with life.”

“Just like that? You just decide to move on without me?”

He was asking for it. Her patience had worn completely thin. Danielle bared her teeth. He showed his, the both of them snarling and subhuman, ready to shift into wolves at any moment. The sound echoed in the tiny cabin.

She shoved him. Bigger than her, he didn’t budge. Lothar grabbed hold of both her wrists to stop her. She fought him, taking swipes with her fangs at his face and neck, but he held her away with hands like vise-grips, pinning and turning her so her back was against his chest and she couldn’t bite him. She hadn’t felt this out of control in years. All she could think about was sinking her teeth into him. His arms wound tightly around her, her arms caught beneath. She was trapped.

“Breathe,” he said.

Relaxation exercises? She was too far gone to care. “Let me go you bastard, and I will run it off.”

“What is this, let go?”

“Funny. Get a dictionary. Now let me go.”

He rested his forehead against the top of her head. Quiet, still. He was turning inward to control his temper, but she didn’t want to control hers.

She strained against him. “I hate you.”

He had the audacity to laugh.

Her throat constricted. Another personality was emerging. She broke down, pulling uselessly against him, tears filling her eyes. “Lothar,” she cried. “Let go of me.”  

Slowly, he released her. Danielle turned to face him.

He didn’t look angry anymore. He looked, well, sort of like he did at his prey when he was overly hungry. Danielle’s breath hitched as he reached out, smoothing her hair back. Her pulse leaped in her throat, and she felt like she really did hate him for not having her. But she still wanted him. She wanted to leave him. She wanted to follow him anywhere.

What on earth was wrong with her?

He tipped her chin up, gazing at her, his eyes black laced with silver. She felt confusion, anger.

Need.

He lowered his head and kissed her. Unprepared, she gasped, yanking back. He waited for her to make up her mind. Danielle launched herself into arms that took her firmly, surrounding her with his heat and his scent.

She arched her back to him without prompting, baring her throat. For one earthshattering moment, he bent, curling over her smaller body. His mouth lowered over hers, and she caught his groan of surrender into her own breath.

He caught her hands then, stilling her, and those lips, that mouth she yearned for like air tore away from her. “Easy,” he breathed.

She wasn’t sure if he was talking to her, or to himself. She didn’t care.

“I-don’t-want-to,” she gritted, writhing against him.

He laughed. It wasn’t arrogance. Not this time. His eyes were still black, but his expression had softened. Slowly, he released her hands and drew her back into him. She lifted her face, and he kissed her. Softly. Despite the measured release into her mouth, his fingers bit into her waist. He was gripping her hard enough to leave marks. Not that she cared. She wasn’t indestructible, but she could take it.

Too pent up. This with them. For far too long. She could try and fool herself, like she had for years, but she definitely had needs, and they’d gone long unmet. Danielle worked one hand free and tried to get at the buttons on his shirt. She’d told Nick once that she was no man’s territory, but oh, God, she wanted to belong to this one. The strength of it terrified her.

He let off of her mouth and his lips worked over her jaw. His teeth caught her ear, digging in just enough to make her breath catch. She may have been willfully ignorant, but not entirely unaware. She knew that plenty of her kind liked to play rough.  

No. Don’t wimp out, Danielle. Just take him as he comes.

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