Tasting Darkness

Chapter 21 

Darius POV 

Aleera was lithe on her feet; I will give her that. She could move when needed making me wonder how much time on the run she actually spent running. She moved quicker without magic than some of my men here who had been in training for years. It was like she anticipated where the next attack would come from, like she could sense it, and I found myself absorbed as I watched her.

Even some of the men had stopped to watch. Most laughed, but most of them were floored with how she moved and she remained almost in the same spot, never stepping out of the barrier. This class was a defense class. You had to block your opponent, yet she had no magic to block with, but she watched. I figured out pretty quickly she studying the flick of his fingers; the way he stood. And it was almost as if she knew what he would do before he did it just by his stance.

Mikhail was one of our best; he never missed a target, and at first, I thought he was holding back, but the longer it went on, I could see his frustration. He really was trying to hurt her; he just couldn’t touch her.

I knew I should have stepped in; a pit formed in my stomach when he decided to partner up with her. I initially was going to be partnered with her when he stepped forward, eyes locked o n his target, but I was ready to step in if needed.

I wouldn’t have hurt her knowing it would upset Kalen and Lycus, scared her, yes but hurt her probably not with how this stupid bond was growing stronger with each day. Ignoring the pull was becoming harder until I remembered what she inflicted. Which infuriated me even more feeling the pull to her, feeling my mates pull to her. But she deserved it, god did she deserve pain for what she has caused us, but when I noticed her becoming tired, I knew I needed to stop it.

The bond called me to protect her, going absolutely haywire when I saw her get boxed in. Just like that night we found her i n her burning room. The entire place was a raging inferno; she had tried to escape but was passed out on her bedroom floor. The moment we stepped into her room, we knew something was amiss. We tried to get back out, but a barrier had been placed on her door and window. Tobias and I only just got her out in time before the roof caved in. Tobias had used his body t o shield her and sustained severe burns while I broke the damn barrier spell placed on it.

heal her and put the cloaking spell on her and her grandmother so she would be protected. Little did we know it also cloaked us

was destroyed and he refused to let Lycus and Kalen heal

w e figured out another way to power share. All of us agreed Aleera was not an option. She was too young, and her powers hadn’t manifested, and none us were comfortable with knowing what that meant for her

as she gasped and I knew that was where her mind took her. I could almost feel her panicked state even without marking her. I heard her heart racing, so I extinguished the flames just as she collapsed

I tell them, letting fire engulf my hand and burn off the residue of blood. Shaking the flames away, I looked down at my mate on the grass. I couldn’t help the

to touch her, but I wouldn’t leave her here unconscious with these men. They could truly be monsters, but none got away with defying me. Yet as I picked up her limp body, damn, she smelt good, felt good in my arms. I shake the thought away and open a portal to her room before stepping through it. Get a

in her back pocket, just an outline and something steel poking out the top. Walking back

to find out anyway what’s it matter if she knew earlier. I may be the last o fmy kind in more ways than one, but it is not strictly like I kept that small fact secret from the world. It’s partially

to have any, but I still wondered briefly before shaking that thought away, who cares we would never know anyhow. But each of us had certain gifts that were our

only to bump into Kalen. He clearly wasn’t expecting to find me in her room. He glances past me before tilting his face toward mine. His hands connected with my chest, and his magic fizzled out a s he tried to use it. If he had done

to her,” he demanded, trying to

anger being the strongest to come through, but I could see the madness lurking through it. Lycus warned

“Where is your medication?”