Page 113 of In The Dark

“It wasn’t important at the time. And what of your mark? Were you going to tell me about yours?” he snaps.

A shocked breath leaves me. He saw the auburn mark in my hair? Realization flickers through me—he must have seen it when we shared my bed that first night together, recalling how his fingers lingered in my hair.

Regardless, I feel as if our situations are not the same, because if he already has a mate in Aurelia, I want to know about it. Then guilt grips me, knowing he’s just as blindsided with my own secrets as I am by his.

A flicker of wariness—perhaps confusion—flashes in his eyes before he turns to light the mantel. It roars to life when he straightens and scratches the back of his head, brows pinched. “What do you know about mate marks?”

I blink. “Just… what we discussed.”

Which is true—I only know as much as we discussed. But just as I go to ask, a breath of air escapes him, a sound of disbelief right before he shakes his head. Like this is all… amusing somehow.

He glances at me, then slowly inhales, hair dripping. “Are you going to tell me how you feel?”

“Why would I, when you have someone waiting for you in Aurelia? There’s no point,” I snap.

Anger flashes in his eyes. “You think there’s nopointin telling me how you feel? Would you like to knowmypoint or how I feel aboutyou?” He stalks toward me, stopping a foot away to get in my face. “Because you haven’t asked, nor have you seemed remotely interested in finding out. You’ve been avoiding me for weeks and until tonight, I didn’t even think you wanted me, so I’ve kept my mouth shut.”

“Well, you’re right. I don’t want you.”

“You’re a liar,” he growls, suddenly snapping a hand out to grip my jaw, forcing me to look at him. “You can’t tell me that you don’twant me when I can literally smell it on you. But let me tell you something, little fawn. I’ve wanted you far longer than you think.” His voice is so low it causes the hair to rise on my arms. The words hang between us, his gaze never leaving mine. “I’ve been in love with you ever since you captivated me at this damn brothel. No one—and I meanno one—has ever made me feel the way you did that night. You took my breath away. And when I found out it wasyouwho was there that night, I…” He trails off, searching my face. His intense gaze pins me in place, and suddenly, the room feels smaller.

“You what?” I ask quietly.

The crackling of the fire pops and hisses, filling the void of the silence between us. My breath falters, the rich scent of him consuming me, making it almost impossible to see reason. His lips inch closer, and the soft brush of his breath against my cheeks causes my hair to stir.

“I knew you were mine,” he mutters, his brows pinching as if he’s suddenly become confused. “Can’t you feel it? Tell me you can feel it.”

For a heartbeat, time stops, as if the realm is holding its breath, waiting for me to recognize what this is between us. My pulse climbs, pounding in my ears as I struggle with the weight of his words. His eyes search mine, waiting for something—anything from me—when it suddenly becomes too much.

Then it dawns on me—I’m in love with him.And he feels the same.What I feel isn’t mere affection. It’s more.

How did I ever let it get this far?

I suddenly pull back, stepping out of his embrace with a shake of my head when his expression falls. Why would he ever want me? I’m broken and lost and confused. I don’t even know who I am anymore. He shouldn’t want me because I’ll never be enough for him. I will never be enough, especially not now.

“You don’t mean it,” I say, hating how my voice wavers.

I suddenly pivot, storming up the mezzanine for my items, but Rydian’s on my heels. I’m almost to the table when my armsnaps back, forcing me to whirl around when his mouth slams into mine with such force that it knocks the breath out of me.

But then I find myself melting and clawing at him, my knees weak as he devours me. He backs me up, my feet stumbling, and I hit the edge of the table before he frantically lifts me, setting me on the edge. Papers rustle beneath me.

He breaks our kiss only to start trailing his nose down my neck, small sounds slipping past my lips. He growls right under my jaw, pulling back to look at me, and then his hand grips my hair at the base of my neck.

“Does this feel like indifference to you?” he hisses, fierce and unflinching. “You don’t get to tell me what I feel, not when every damn part of me is already yours. I would burn the world for you. Don’t you understand that?” He lands another hard, claiming kiss to my mouth.

I instantly grumble into him, and somehow, the sound of it forces him to pull me in as if he can’t get enough. His mouth claims mine while his hands explore, finally landing at the rim of my pants and undoing the button.

And fuck, do I want him.

I’m fully dressed one moment, and in the next, clothes are being tossed aside. I gasp, scrambling for his tunic, lifting it in a frenzy, then work his pants down, dropping them to the floor.

Our mouths clash again, his hands suddenly pulling my hips to the edge of the table. They slide down my legs, forcing me to wrap around him just as he pushes his hips forward, and I feel his cock brush against me.

A whimper. “I need you, Rydian. Please.”

My voice trembles with urgency as something dark and exhilarating begins to form, coiling at the very center of me. His answering growl vibrates against my skin.

“I know.” His voice is rough, but he doesn’t stop. His grip only tightens, hands trembling as if trying to hold himself back. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”