The Dark Rising (The Hidden of Vrohkaria Book Two)

She won’t talk to me, look at me. Fuck, she barely breathes in my direction, always rolling away from me. It’s been days since I saw her eyes, since she spoke a single word to me and I feel… restless.

Drax growls, his back turned from me, and I growl back. What does he want me to do? I’m trying to be patient, trying to give her time, but it’s wearing thin. She’s exhausted, and not eating won’t help that. Everything I have put on the table, she doesn’t even touch. I’ve tried to place it on the bed and leave, but when I come back, it’s still there untouched. I’ve even resisted the urge to sleep next to her, just so she can feel like she can come out of this… slump. But again, nothing is working.

I’ve had enough. I make my way down to the dining room. The smell of meat and vegetables hit me as soon as I pass through the door.

“Still the same?” Damian asks, the look of concern in his eyes unusual for the Heir of Zahariss. But since we have all learned about what she has been through, even Leo has been asking about her.

I shake my head and grab a plate, then begin filling it with food for her. She will eat today. Whether she likes it or not.

“Maybe if you would let us see her, she may be inclined to talk, to eat.“ I ignore Taylor and add more meat to the pile. It’s elk, boiled specifically as I requested, so it’s soft and easy to swallow.

“Darius!” Josh snarls, and slams his fork down on his plate. I pause, my hand hovering over the plate and I slowly, so slowly turn my eyes to him.

He looks ruffled, his bun askew at the back of his head and his eyes tired. I look at the other members of the pack and see the same exhausted look.

“What,” I grit out.

“Let us see her.”

“No.”

“This is ridiculous,” he says. “It would be for her benefit. We can get her to eat.”

“No.” She will eat from my hand or no others.

“I have seen the plates come back empty, what you are doing is not working. She doesn’t want anything to do with you,” Sebastian spits, and I resist the urge to put him through a wall.

“Brother,” Leo says, and my eyes swing toward him. I shake my head and grab more meat.

“You would think he would let someone else see her if it would help,” Colten mutters, and my fingers clench around the plate.

“He’s too far gone to allow that, pup,” Hudson replies and I ignore them.

“Any news on the crystal, Zaide?” Damian asks him.

“None, still have no idea of its location.”

“Keep looking,” I grunt. “Rhea needs to see it and then maybe we can have some more insight on the rogures.”

“Of course.”

“Why would Charles refuse to let you have it anyway?” Damian questions.

“Because he knows it is a lie.”

“Do you think he knows something is up with you requesting to see it again?”

“I don’t know. The last time I asked, I told him it was to study the rogures coming out of the ground, he said if I didn’t get anything the first time, I wont the next.”

“Definitely not suspicious then,” Sebastian snarks.

“Do you have any news on Sarah? Kade or the others?” Anna asks, and I look over at her.

“None other than what I have already told you.” She slumps in her chair, her arms folded as she looks toward the fireplace in thought.

“I’m sure they are fine,” Damian says around a mouthful of food.

“You have seen Rhea’s body,” she snaps. “Does that look fine to you?”

Silence fills the room after that, and a heavy weight enters the air.

I grind my teeth and grab the last strip of meat. Taking a cup with water, I leave the room without another word.

Entering my bedroom, my eyes go directly to the form under my furs. My chest feels uncomfortable at the sight, and I quickly close the door behind me, putting her dinner down on the table. Walking over to her side of the bed, I stand in front of her, watch as the furs rise and fall with her breaths. I know she feels me here, just like I can always feel her when she’s near.

“Rhea.” Nothing. I take a deep breath for patience. “Rhea,” I try again. Not even a twitch. I wait it out, but still it’s the same as every other time.

Silence.

And with that, my patience? Gone.

I grab the furs and rip them from her. Her eyes spring open, followed by a sharp inhale before she moves. Moves away from me, from our connection to the other side of the bed. I make myself still as I look over her, assessing.

She’s lost more weight. The dark circles under her eyes are more noticeable, as are her cheekbones.

No more.

“Rhea.” She still says nothing, she just continues to stare at the wall. I walk around the bed until I’m standing directly in front of her, and ignore what I feel as she backs up against the headboard. “Little wolf?”

Her eyes slowly come to mine then, and though I want nothing more than her eyes on me, it’s like she’s seeing through me. My jaw clenches as my hands ball into fists.

“Just say something…anything!” I shout, losing my calm façade. I don’t like being ignored, but being ignored by her is something I cannot tolerate any longer.

Something moves within her eyes then, like she has a little focus, like she can actually hear me. But it’s not what I wanted to see.

I don’t want to see pain there.

The pains of what I did to her.

She tried to hide it, but she must know by now that she cannot hide from me.

I see her pain like I see the skies darkening with a coming storm.

I breathe deep in my chest, letting it out slowly. I try to relax my posture as much as possible, but it’s hard to do when she won’t give me what I want. Or hide better what I don’t want to see.

“You need to eat.” My words are blunt, straight to the point.

She blinks slowly, but otherwise doesn’t move.

I go over to the table and grab the cup, lifting it and holding it out to her.

“Have a drink first, your body needs it.” Not a single movement. “Rhea.” I drop my tone low, a warning that I wont tolerate this any longer.

Her brows furrow before she looks down at the cup. I wait her out, the air filling with her tension. Tentatively, she reaches for it, and places her fingers specifically where she doesn’t have to touch me. That won’t last long.

I take a few steps back, trying to give her more space so she feels more comfortable to take a drink. She looks down into the cup like it can give her some answers, like it can take her somewhere else. Her hand clenching around it, her knuckles whitening, and then suddenly, it’s flying toward my face. I bat it away quickly, water splashing over me and the floor as I watch it roll. My eyes slowly move back to the little beast that resides in my bed.

Her eyes are hard, her chest heaving, and I smirk.

Then she comes for me.

Her magic forms in her hands, the blue glowing, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. It isn’t kind, more devious. A ball of her power flies toward me and I raise my hand, calling my own magic to deflect it. It hits my palm and crashes off to the side. We ignore the hole in the stone as she lets another loose. This time, I have my magic swallow hers and she growls, launching herself at me as she thinks that’s the better option. I welcome it.

She throws a punch for my face, and I quickly grab her hand, and then the other. I take her to the floor with ease, too much ease for her as she wriggles, kicks and moves her body to try and dislodge me. All the while, I stay locked in her eyes, eyes that are no longer empty.

Eyes that I can finally look at in-person again, and not be haunted by them when I close my eyes.

My hold on her is firm, but gentle, as I let her get her anger out where she wont hurt herself. When she realizes she can’t get out of my hold, she raises her head and her teeth, then she’s at my shoulder. She bites down, and I grunt, but otherwise don’t move.

I feel the moment her teeth break the skin through my t-shirt, feel the trickle of blood that comes through it. I allow it.

“That’s it, little wolf, show me your teeth.” She digs in harder. angry noise spilling from her lips. “I will bear them. I will take it, and I will take your anger, but I won’t take your silence,” I growl, and I feel my flesh tear. “You cannot do anything is this state, be the fucking Alpha you are meant to be and take it out on me.” I hiss when she reaches bone, but I don’t pull away. Instead, I move her wrists to one hand and move the other to the back of her head. Grabbing her hair in my hand, I force her deeper, selfishly wanting her closer even though she’s buried her teeth in my flesh. She pauses, her breaths coming in ragged pants, and I massage the back of her head. “You need to get out of bed and get stronger for your pack.” She growls before she lets go, slumping back to the floor.

Looking her over, I take her in. Blood coats her mouth, and it should repulse me, but us wolves like seeing blood on our prey. Seeing my own on her though does something to me. Something possessive and probably not stable. Her hair fans out around her, longer now, long enough for me to wrap more around my fist.

An image of me plowing into her from behind comes to me, guiding her with her hair to stay still and arch her back as I pull her down on my cock.

Shaking out my thoughts, I lean forward and she freezes. I pay her no mind as I lick the side of her mouth, tasting myself on her and she huffs, but otherwise doesn’t make a sound. I pull back, knowing I’m pushing her, and I still have something to do.

I rise, bringing her with me and maneuvering her until her arms are behind her back, still having a grip on her wrists. I move us over to the chair by the table. Sitting down, after a little struggle on her part, I guide her to straddle my thighs so she’s facing me. She scowls, and I smile at her being uncomfortable. I can’t help but think how perfectly she fits against me.

I take a strip of meat and hold it up to her. “You will eat, then you will rest.” Her eyes turn hard. I bring the food to her lips and she turns away. I squeeze her wrists in warning, probably too hard, and she looks at me sharply. “You have to build your strength to kick my ass, right?” She looks down at the meat, wriggling her hands, and I tsk at her. “After days of you ignoring me, after days of you being just a lump of skin in that bed, not eating, not drinking and not fucking sleeping,” I growl, my head lowering. “You will eat by my hand until I say it’s enough.” Her eyes flash, bouncing between mine in anger. “Oh no, little wolf, you fucked up with riding my patience too hard. Now. Eat.”

I place the meat back to her lips, and just when I think I will have to force her mouth open, her lips part. She accepts the strip of meat and I watch her as she chews with rapt attention, a pleased sound rumbling from me. When she opens her mouth for more, I make her wait a little for what she just ate to settle in her stomach. When satisfied, I give her another bite. She wriggles in my lap after she swallows, probably feeling uncomfortable, and I raise a brow at her.

“You don’t want to do that.” She stills, and it makes me think she didn’t realize she was doing it. “Unless you do?” She looks down, and I let out a chuckle.

I bring more food up for her to eat, and when she has one strip left, she shakes her head. I let it go, knowing she has eaten a lot. Her eyes start to droop, and she sits up straighter. I stand, holding her under her ass with one hand and she makes a noise of protest. I hush her and walk her over to the bed. Crouching down, I let her sit as I slowly release her wrists, waiting to see her next move.

“Rest,” I tell her softly as she bring her hands to the furs and clutches them tightly. She doesn’t look at me, and I let a low sound rumble in my chest. Her eyes swing to mine. “I will leave for a while, and when I come back, we will talk.” Her brows furrow and I lean forward. Her flinch has me pausing and grinding my teeth. I rise and step back, nodding my head to the furs and leave.

As soon as the door clicks, I rest my head against it, my hand clenching around the handle at her reaction.

I shouldn’t be surprised she’s flinching from me, not after what I have done, but I won’t allow it to continue. I stretch my back out.

No. I won’t allow it at all.