Page 180 of Serpent In White

“You’ve done so much for us, Drake,” I continue. “Forme. My debt to you is endless…”

“You owe me nothing—”

“It wouldn’t matter anyway,” I growl, coming back to him. “Because I never wanted this. I wanted apartnerin you, Drake. Not a henchman.” There is sorrow shining in his eyes, while mine smolder with frustration. “But you couldn’t give that to me, could you?”

He crawls onto his hands and knees, gazing up at me. “Iwantedto… But I was afraid.”

“Afraid?” I crouch down to make us eye-level. “Of what?”

He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. It stirs my dick. “Of losing you. Of hurting you…”

“You wouldn’t—”

“Not on purpose, but it would happen. It’s bound to.” He scoots closer. “I’m not good, Darian. I never have been, but since that night, something has lived inside me. Something I can’t control…”

I take his face in my hands. “What I hear you saying, brother, is that I was never enough for you.”

“You always were,” he whispers.

“Then what is it really, Drake?” My tone fizzles in anger, volume rising. “What’s the fucking problem? Because I would have given upeverythingfor you! But you couldn’t bring yourself to do the same!”

The earth beneath us vibrates in a matching fury. Drake’s chest is heaving back and forth as he grabs at the collar of my shirt. “I’m a monster, Darian! Don’t you get that??”

“We’re all monsters!” I roar in his face, pushing him back onto the ground.

I straddle him and hold his throat with my fingers, not tight enough to harm him, but enough that his pupils dilate as he gapes up at me, the winds whipping around us in turmoil.

“You don’t want me.” My voice snaps enough to prove the hurt behind my words. “You left me. That was why I went to Lars. Because youleft!”

“I know…” he croaks.

“You packed up and moved out. Like I wasn’t yours. Like we weren’t meant for each other, when you know damn well we always have been. Don’t you?” He’s quiet until I bark again, “Don’t you?!”

“Yes,” he rasps, his fingers digging into the dirt by his sides. “We’re meant for each other.”

“You promised you’d always be mine.” I lean in closer, my face hovering over his. My hands are no longer holding his throat but caressing it. I feel him swallow on my fingertips. “Not just my brother…Mine.”

“Don’t you get it, Darian?” His hands move up onto my thighs. “We’reallyours. I couldn’t let you give it up for me… All of this, everything we’ve made.Webuilt this, Dar. Us, together. And I’ve always been yours, baby. You’remy King.”

A breath leaves me at his words, a warm brush of air sweeping over our flesh.

He’s not being sarcastic or snarky, he’s not hiding me from his true thoughts, or covering up his feelings to keep me from seeing them.

He’s mine. I’m his King.

Always my King, beautiful. His snake eyes call to me, craving me as I hold his jaw and kiss him slowly. We both groan together, hands rushing all over, lips melded, tongues mingling while the trees rock above us. Our movements are instantly frenzied, his fingers ripping my shirt over my head, and mine dragging down his pants.

“I’m in love with you,” I whisper into his mouth while he unzips me, hand slinking inside to feel how hard I am for him. “I never won’t be.”

“I’ve been in love with you since I watched you sleep from across our bedroom,” he confesses, his truths like sugar on my tongue.

“Mmm… creepy.” I grin, and he chuckles, shoving my pants down below my ass, until my cock flops out onto his abs.

“I’m being serious,” he rumbles, though he’s squirming beneath me, arching his back to rub himself on my body. “It didn’t matter that you were my brother, or my best friend. I would have killed for you no matter what, baby. It was written.”

“Always.” I suck on his lip, fisting his inky black hair.

“Infinitely always.” Drake’s hands travel over my skin, a cool contrast to its heat for him.