Page 45 of Royal Beast (Royals of the Underworld #1)
DARCY
“ M ama! Daddy!”
Rose’s frantic cry echoes through the hospital room, slicing through my chest like a knife. I bolt to her bedside, Kellan right behind me, his longer strides nearly overtaking mine.
My heart pounds as I rush into the room, panic twisting in my gut. I brace for the worst, terrified of what I might find.
Rose’s tiny hands wave in the air, the little IV taped to her wrist swaying as she struggles to hold up a juice box. Her face crumples in frustration, and tears glisten in her big brown eyes.
“It won’t work!” she wails, thrusting the juice box toward us.
I stop short, relief flooding my body so fast my knees feel weak. For a second, all I can do is stare at her, my breath coming out in short, uneven gasps.
Kellan steps forward, scooping the juice box from her little hand. “What’s going on, Rosie Posie?” he asks, his voice low and soothing.
“The straw,” she wails. “It’s stuck!”
Kellan crouches beside her bed, examining the bent straw with exaggerated seriousness. “Ah, a tricky one,” he murmurs. “But lucky for you, I’m a juice box expert.”
Rose blinks at him, her tears already subsiding. “You are?”
“Absolutely,” he says, winking. With careful precision, he straightens the straw and slides it into the tiny foil hole. “There we go.”
Rose giggles as he hands the box back to her, and the sound feels like the first ray of sunlight after a storm.
“You’re the best, Daddy!” she declares, her smile lighting up the room.
My chest tightens at the word Daddy . She’s said it so easily, so naturally, as if it’s been his name all along. And the way Kellan’s eyes soften when he hears it makes my heart ache in my chest.
I sit on the edge of her bed, smoothing a hand over her curls as she sips her juice. Kellan sinks down on the other side, his hand resting lightly on the bed rail. We’re close enough to touch, but there’s a careful distance between us now, the weight of our earlier conversation hanging in the air.
I still don’t know how he feels right now, about me, about us, but the question has been burning a hole in my chest since we were interrupted. I chance a glance at him, and my breath catches. He’s watching Rose with a look so tender, so fiercely protective, that it almost hurts to see.
If only I knew whether there’s room in that look for me too.
After what feels like days but is really only hours, the doctor finally gives us the green light to take Rose home.
I’ve never packed up so fast in my life, putting away the stuffed animal Kellan bought her, the juice boxes she sweet-talked from the nurses, and the balloons and cards from the other Brannagans.
Kellan carries Rose to the car, holding her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.
She’s asleep by the time we pull into the driveway. Her little head rests against Kellan’s chest as he lifts her out of the car seat and carries her upstairs. I follow, my arms full of Rose’s things.
Kellan lays Rose gently in her bed, tucking her in with the same care he always uses. Even as she stirs, he kisses her forehead and whispers, “Sweet dreams, Rosie Posie.”
I stand in the doorway, watching the scene unfold with a lump in my throat. It’s such a simple moment, but it makes me feel like my heart might burst.
When we’re back downstairs, the silence between us feels heavy, like we both know something needs to be said but neither of us wants to be the first to speak. I fidget with the edge of the counter just to keep my hands busy.
“Darcy.”
I freeze, the sound of his voice rooting me to the spot. As I turn, I catch sight of him, hands in his pockets as he stands in the middle of the living room.
He steps closer. “I’ve been thinking,” he says. “About a lot of things.”
“Yeah?” I ask, swallowing hard. I’m not entirely sure where he’s going, but when his gaze locks with mine, it feels like the air has been sucked out of my lungs.
He takes a deep breath. “I never got the chance to answer you earlier, Darcy. You asked if I could say I felt the same as you.”
My heart thuds, and I grip the edge of the counter, bracing myself for whatever he’s about to say.
“The truth is, I’ve always felt the same,” he says, his words slow and deliberate.
“When I saw you in that hospital room with Rose, the way you held her, the way you stayed so strong through everything… it hit me all over again. I realized something. Or maybe I remembered something I’ve always known. ”
I can’t look away, my heart hammering in my chest with every word he speaks.
“I love you, Darcy. I think I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you. And no matter how much time has passed or how many mistakes we’ve both made, that’s never changed. It’s only grown.”
Tears prick my eyes and he steps closer.
“When you walked away that morning after our first night together, I thought maybe you didn’t feel the same.
So I buried it. But I could never get you out of my head.
And then, seeing Rose for the first time—seeing our daughter—” His voice breaks, and he takes a deep breath.
“She’s perfect, just like her mother. And I don’t want to waste another second pretending I can live without either of you. I want us to be a family. A real family.”
My heart feels like it’s about to leap out of my chest. He takes another step closer, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box.
“I know this isn’t how I pictured doing this,” he admits with a sheepish smile. “But Darcy, will you marry me? For real this time?”
The tears spill over before I can stop them. I cover my mouth with my hands, nodding so hard it feels like my head might fall off. “Yes,” I choke out, my hands shaking. “Yes, Kellan, I’ll marry you.”
He closes the distance between us in an instant, wrapping me in his arms and pulling me close. His lips find mine and for the first time in what feels like forever, everything feels right.
As we pull apart, our gazes remain locked, the air between us charged with a new kind of tension.
The exhaustion in my limbs seems to dissolve under the heat of Kellan’s gaze.
His eyes burn with a fire that pins me to the spot, the heat scorching me where I stand.
My breath catches, my pulse quickens, and all I know is that I need him, wholly and desperately, here and now.
“Take me to the bedroom,” I whisper, never breaking eye contact.
Kellan scoops me up, the muscles in his arms flexing, showing off corded muscle as he carries me off. The ease with which he can lift me, despite my size, always amazes me. It sets my heart aflame, the inferno licking through me straight down to my core.
Once we reach the bedroom, he shuts the door with his foot, depositing me onto the bed before crawling onto it himself, a smug, self-satisfied smile on his face.
“Why do you look so pleased?” I ask, reaching up to cup his face in my hand, a teasing smile on my own.
“Because I’ve got the perfect life,” he says, no arrogance in his tone. “An amazing wife, a beautiful daughter, and all of Thornville at my feet now. The Russians will think twice before messing with us again.” He chuckles. “Especially after Dariy finds the bomb we planted in his car.”
I sit up, a look of shock on my face, but Kellan presses a finger to my lips before I can speak, leaning down to suck a mark into my neck.
“Don’t worry, it’s set to go off when he leaves his front door, so he won’t actually get hurt.
It’s just meant to send a warning. I don’t want any more casualties in this war. ”
His words reassure me, reminding me that despite the tough, guarded facade he puts up, he’s a good man deep down. He’s always trying to find ways to protect those he cares about and to ensure that despite his ire, not one person more than necessary gets hurt.
It makes me want him all the more so I kiss his finger, sucking it in my mouth, swirling my tongue around the tip. His breaths grow heavier, louder as I lick down the digit, adding his middle finger as well.
By the time I pull his fingers out of my mouth, wet with saliva, his eyelids are heavy, gazing at me with the same intensity as before, and his hands are trembling where he clenches them against his thighs with the effort of holding himself back.
“Beautiful,” he says, reaching a hand out to pull me toward him, capturing my lips in a heated kiss before pulling back to look at me once more. “So beautiful. My beautiful, sexy wife.” He pauses and a smile curls up on his face. “Or maybe my beautiful bride?” he offers.
This brings a giggle up in my throat and I dive forward, kissing him again as I stroke over his thighs and down to caress the bulge in his pants. “This wife is going to rock your world, dear husband,” I say, moving my hands up to unbutton my blouse, unhooking my front-clasp bra.
Kellan’s eyes track my movements, licking his lips as he watches my nipples pebble in the cool air circulating the room. His hands shoot out, rubbing his thumbs along the stiff peaks, squeezing and kneading them under his broad hands.
My own hands move around to grope his ass, pulling him closer to me, wanting to feel the strong muscles there. The muscles bunch and flex under my touch, and I moan as he leans down and suckles one nipple into his mouth.
“Fuck, Darcy,” Kellan whispers, his voice harsh in the quiet room. “You’re driving me crazy. I want you to touch yourself for me, baby,” he pleads. “Touch yourself so I can watch.”
“Yeah?” I say, pulling away from him slowly. “You want me to touch myself? Like this?” I bring my hands up, cupping my breasts, pushing them together so they’re on full display in front of his face.
A groan escapes him and he nods, biting his lip. “Yes, just like that. Now I want you to lie back on the bed and slip your hands into your panties and play with your clit.”
A mischievous grin spreads across my face as I hike my skirt up and obey, plunging a finger into my folds as I toy with the fleshy bud, rolling and pinching it between my thumb and forefinger. Breathy moans fall from my lips and I glance back up at Kellan, who’s watching me with bated breath.
“Like this, Daddy?” I ask, adding a little mewl to my tone. “Oh, it feels so good, Daddy!” Pressing two fingers into my pussy, I arch my back and whimper.
Kellan growls. “You’re being a tease, Wildflower. I didn’t tell you to put anything inside yourself.”
“Oh, Daddy,” I moan. “I just can’t help it. Feels so good. Too good.” My middle fingers pick up speed, fucking into my tight heat as my thumb and forefinger continue their assault on my clit, rubbing over the fleshy nub with fervor.
“If you get off without permission, you’ll be in trouble, little girl,” Kellan warns, a dark look in his eyes that has my stomach clenching.
“Oh, yes!” I cry, putting extra effort into my movements, and just as I’m cresting, Kellan grabs my hand, pulling it away from me.
“Oh, you’re in trouble now,” he says, a feral grin on his face.