“Do you believe me?”
He stared at her for a moment, hoping she would look at him. Finally, he answered. “Aye. I do.”
“You’re the only one.”
“I’m on your side, Darcy.”
When she refused to look at him, Warrick got dressed. He didn’t know what else to say to convince her. Everything that came out of his mouth only seemed to agitate her more.
It’s one of those times he hated that he didn’t converse well with others. Not to mention he didn’t understand females at all. He’d thought Darcy was happy with him in the cottage, but she looked dejected and miserable.
Perhaps she required a little time to herself. Warrick knew he needed advice on how to handle the situation. He only hoped one of the other Kings would actually help him with her.
He understood their animosity toward her helping Ulrik. The fact Darcy kept taking up for Ulrik didn’t help. Warrick didn’t like that she kept doing that either. But, in a way, he understood.
She wasn’t taking up for Ulrik. She was taking up for herself. Darcy was proving to herself and everyone else that she hadn’t done wrong since she still had her magic.
If she still had her magic, Ulrik couldn’t be evil.
The problem with that was that everyone knew he was evil.
Warrick ran a hand down his face. “I’m going to collect some firewood. Do you need anything?”
“No, thank you.”
Warrick dressed, his gaze never leaving Darcy. If only she would look at him, he could gauge her feelings. Yet she kept her face toward the fire.
Once he finished putting on his shoes, he paused beside her and tugged on a ringlet. “I’ll no’ be gone long.”
Darcy waited until the door closed behind Warrick before she buried her face in her hands. The tears had been slowly falling, but now the floodgates were open.
Her shoulders shook as she let all of her emotions out. She had really thought Warrick cared about her. So much so, that she let herself think there might be something more between them.
What a fool she had been.
It had been in front of her from the very beginning. She might not have wanted to see it, and even refused to see it at the manor. But she couldn’t deny it anymore.
Mainly because after making love to him again, Darcy knew she had feelings for Warrick—deep feelings. The kind that made her nauseous and excited at once. The kind that made her want to tell him how she felt.
What a disaster that would be.
Darcy lifted her head and wiped the tears away. She stood, shivering without Warrick’s heat and looked down at the fur rug. The tears started all over again.
Why did she have to ask him why he was with her? Why couldn’t she have been content with the way things were? Why couldn’t she have left well enough alone and enjoyed their time together until she could leave?
She hiccupped. Because she wouldn’t be leaving. As soon as she did, the Dark would descend upon her.
Darcy reached for her clothes through her tears. Her foot missed the opening to her jeans three times. She fell back on the sofa as the tears came harder.
Long minutes passed as she cried. When the grip on her heart lessened enough that the tears slowed, she sniffed and slowly dressed.
Images of Warrick making love to her flashed in her head. He was a good man. And he might actually believe her. If he did, the other Kings and their mates would start treating Warrick as they did her. That wasn’t something Darcy could handle.
However, if Warrick didn’t believe her, then he was once more doing what Con wanted. And he’d just lied to her. She wanted to be angry, and a part of her was. Another part understood.
Ulrik was after the Kings, and he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. It wasn’t just about revenge. Ulrik wanted to be King of Kings.
Everyone at Dreagan was fighting for their way of life.
Although she might appreciate their motives, that didn’t help Darcy in her own feelings. She knew she couldn’t remain near Warrick and not let him kiss and hold her again. It felt too damn … right.
Darcy angrily wiped at her eyes in an attempt to remove any trace of her tears. But when she thought of her feelings for Warrick, they started all over again.
She didn’t know how long she stood and stared at the rug before she heard a mobile chime a text. At the second chime, Darcy shook herself.
Her hands went to her back pockets before she realized she didn’t have her phone. It had been left behind at the shop. Curious, she began to look for the phone on tables and on the mantel, but found nothing.
The sound had been close, so she knew it was in the room with her. She removed the cushions on the sofa, looked in a vase, and even lifted the rug.