Chapter 54-

Four Years Later:
Darius:
I walk out of my chambers and make my way down to the stables. She is always down there in the morning taking care of Luna and Arrow. We have been done with her classes for a few weeks now, but I have been using any excuse I can to be near her. I’ve been rationalizing my feelings for a long time now, the first few years she was here I just thought of her as an ally. Her education and safety were entrusted to me, I had to be in close proximity to her because of my duty. She was just someone who was important to Rowen and this kingdom so therefore should be important to me, I respected her strong character and was a bit amazed in her ability to shift. It is something she is a little sensitive about and she only shifts with Irvin when they let their wolves out to run. In the last year though my feelings have changed, the longer I know her the more I care about her as a person. She is hard working and kind, seeing her take Ayla under her wing and help her flourish has been amazing to watch. Truthfully it was a bit hard for me to adjust to the thought of having Ayla here in the castle let alone teaching her. Her father schemed with my own to have Emma killed. After I told my dad about my feelings for Rowen and how we had become a couple he was ready to kill me, so that he wouldn’t have to bear the shame of having a son who loved a man. He called me every foul word he could think of and told me then that my younger brother would succeed him not me. I lived in the protection of Rowen’s castle. His parents were more accepting than my own and his father had been someone important in my life since I could remember. He told my father that he could not pass me over for such a foolish thing as following my heart.
Rowen and I were happy for a time. We had been friends since we were children and our unconventional romance blossomed from true friendship and affection, but then my dad’s chance for revenge and his way to hurt me fell into his lap. I met Emma down at the market one day. Her family was quite humble, and they had a small stand selling firewood. I knew right from the second I laid eyes on her that she was mine. Just one look and my heart felt like it would beat out of my chest, my fangs grew long and wouldn’t retract. She had beautiful golden hair and bright green eyes. She had a small, feminine frame and was understanding and kind. I took her back to the castle with me right from her families stand, the thought of leaving without her was unfathomable. When I told Rowen about Emma I broke down, I couldn’t bear the thought of not having him in my life. Even though I loved Emma right from the start it didn’t take my love for him away, it was such a hard and confusing time for us. Emma was patient and loving through it all and she thought the world of Rowen. He took me aside and told me to choose her. He wanted me to have a long happy life and to have the possibility of children which he knew I always wanted. He told me we would always stay friends and he made me his personal advisor and gave Emma and I our own rooms in the spare wing of the castle.
When my father heard that I had broken off my romance with Rowen and had claimed a mate he and Marcus plotted against me. Marcus lured Emma from the castle where he and my father murdered her in the hopes of destroying me. Most vampires and shifters lose their strength, sanity and will to live after the loss of a fated mate. Their soul and mind are so intertwined that the loss drives them mad, and they almost always die soon after. That was their intention, to kill her so that I would die and then the source of what they viewed to be their family’s shame would be gone. Never to dirty their names again, but Rowen saved me. I was in such a dark place but he inch by inch dug me out. We no longer shared a romantic relationship, in fact he ended burying his own feelings in multiple women. That never bothered me I knew he didn’t love them, and I wanted him to be happy, and satisfied. We have just been friends since then, there was a short period of time that I thought our romance would rekindle but then we went in aid to Marcus, and he met his own beautiful mate.
Understandably I was not thrilled to be in charge of the child that belonged to the man who was responsible for one of the worst things to happen in my life, but seeing her change, grow and now shine under Oriel’s love and guidance has made me see her as her own person and not the culmination of her parents’ sin. Ayla is still reserved and quite shy around strangers but when she is comfortable, she is silly and loves to laugh. I pray that if she ever finds a mate that he will be someone with a gentle disposition.
Oriel has grown from a fiery, independent girl who took no prisoners to a beautiful, nurturing, tough as nails woman. She still has quite the temper when angry, but she is in slightly better control of it now. She has always been mature and thoughtful and that has only expounded as she’s grown. The castle staff and guard are the only ones able to enter the grounds along with a few tutors over the years, but she makes everyone she comes in contact with feel important and cared for. It’s a refreshing quality to see when Rowen and I have grown up around noble vampires who think themselves to be superior to everyone around them. It is through all this growth that I have come to care about her independent of my relationship with Rowen and my duty to the kingdom. I think about her at night before I fall asleep, and her face is the first I think of when I wake up. I actively work on squashing those feelings before they rage out of control, I know I can never have her. She belongs to Rowen and just like he wished for my happiness I wish for his, but when I’m truthful with myself I hope to be special to her. I want to bask in her sunlight that she carries everywhere she goes. I think I’m not the only one transfixed in her spell, I believe Irvin has been in love with her his entire life. That will make things complicated when Rowen finally comes home. He is set to return before the harvest festival at the end of summer, I have been taking Oriel and Irvin for the last four years and it has been a great way for us to build more connections with our shifter brothers and sisters. I have seen great work in moving forward in the goal to make us one people under the same deity instead of enemies. Oriel and her family from the black moon pack have been instrumental in this change. Instead of being seen as sneaky traitors who threaten our existence due to our lack of self-control we are being seen as allies and friends. I have made excuses for Rowen, but I can tell her parents are weary of his long absence. I know Irvin doesn’t think to highly of my friend, so I hope he hasn’t said anything too damning about him.
“Darius! Over here, I finally got Luna to clear all the jumps on the course.” I wave back to the beautiful red head riding her white horse with flowers braided into its mane. She trots her horse over to the fence where I am not standing next to Irvin. I can’t help but notice his entranced stare as she comes our way. I wonder if she knows that she is torturing us both with her wide smile and her full bouncing breasts as she rides. “Irvin and I were just about to take Arrow and Luna on a trail ride, you should come with us.” “You two are both saddled up already, I don’t want to keep you waiting.” “Don’t be silly we’re only going to the orchard to pick some apples, just ride with me.” Irvin scowls as I climb on the horse behind her and grab onto her full-bodied waist. I love all her full curves and the softness of her body, everything about her is so feminine and beautiful. I feel myself start to harden as we ride, and my hand brushes the underside of her breasts. She doesn’t seem to notice but my cock does. It’s times like this that I am filled with so much guilt and lust that my head feels like t will explode. I know Rowen will be home soon and in two years he will claim Oriel in every way. She is going to make an amazing queen and I can’t stand in the way of either of their happiness. Little moments like these are all I’ll ever have with her, and it will have to be enough. I’ll treasure every minute and keep the feelings that I can’t seem to get rid of locked away inside. On the way back from the orchard where I helped her reach hard to get fruit and carried her bag, I also to my grate shame smelled her hair and held on tighter than necessary when I rode behind her. I really need to work on my self-control, I just haven’t felt this way in such a long time. There was a time not that long ago when I thought my heart would be empty forever.
Irvin:
If Darius thinks he is being secretive about his feelings, then he is delusional. He barely speaks a civil word to anyone besides Oriel, Ayla and sometimes me. We get along fine but I wouldn’t consider us friends. I have been thankful for his guidance the last few years; I have seen Oriel grow and how he supports her. Between him championing for her and the council seeing her hard work and dedication to the betterment of the kingdom things have been moving forward and she has started to gain the love of her people. It is still an uphill battle but I’m so proud of her. It is only because of all the good he has done for her that I ask him to stay and speak to me when Oriel leaves to have lunch with Ayla.
“I know how you feel about her.” “What do you mean exactly?” “What I mean is Rowen will be home soon, and no matter how you or I feel she belongs with him. As much as I hate that and still don’t think he deserves her fate has chosen him for her. I am only telling you to get it under control because your king will be back soon, and I doubt he wants to share her.” He nods and walks away I didn’t want to be an asshole, but I also don’t want any problems for Oriel. If anyone can swoop in and steal her from that damned vampire king it should be me, I have loved her my whole life. At first as a sister but for a long time now I have loved her as a man loves a woman. I can’t fight Rowen for her, but I will fight Darius.
Oriel:
After lunch with Ayla, I go to my room. I should be happy that Rowen is coming home after all this time. I have written him about once a month or so for the last few years, but they are mostly about council meetings and things about the castle, or my schooling. I feel like I hardly know him. I’m sure when he’s back our bond will kick in and all the other feelings inside me will go away. I have been trying to stop my wandering heart, but it wants men that it shouldn’t.