CHAPTERTWELVE
RUX
Rux woke slowly, the warmth of the bed and the crispness of the sheets filtering into his senses before anything else. As he rolled over, the scent of his mate hit him in full. Without opening his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and relaxed, ecstasy flooding through him.
He did not rush the moment. He slowly absorbed the softness of the mattress beneath him, the silken feel of the light sheets on his skin. As he rolled over and reached out an arm, a smile of joy spread across his face when he felt Dana’s warm weight against him.
With his eyes closed, his world was all sensation and impression. It heightened his senses and made her scent almost sharp. The pulse of her heartbeat was palpable as a sound, as well as a feeling.
He stretched, letting his body touch hers … gentle, sweet feather touches. It thrilled him to the core.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He opened his eyes and let his eyes take her in. He sat up just a little, careful not to jostle her as he leaned forward to look at her face.
The long, dark lashes rested across her cheeks, giving her the look of a peaceful angel. Her thick black hair was spun across the pillow like a fabled spider’s web. He began to feel lightheaded, realizing after a few moments had sped by that he was holding his breath.
With the deep sigh came another hint of her warm, intoxicating scent. His eyes closed again as he savored it, but he had to look at her again … he found that he couldn’t stop.
He chuckled softly to himself. He had been such a beast before this, his impatience firing his blood, anxiety stampeding through him until he was willing to believe the worst in everyone. He’d convinced himself that she would always be out of reach.
Look how far we’ve come in such a short time. I didn’t have to worry at all. She was always mine and always will be mine.
She stirred, rolling over a little. He gasped as her gorgeous body was revealed by the sheet slipping down. He shook his head slightly, resisting the urge to touch her. He didn’t want to wake her up.
She is magnificent. Every inch of her is perfect. A lifetime is not enough time to worship this woman.
He felt a moment of uncertainty when he thought about claiming her. So far, that beautiful white skin was not marked by his claws or teeth. He knew there was time. His heart and soul possessed a certainty that his fickle mind couldn’t fathom.
Without warning, dread crept upon him. It was familiar. The slow onset of tension in his chest and the twist in his guts. It made him feel too full yet hollow and empty at the same time. As he looked down on her, he felt fury and loss rising in him.
The island party. How can I take her there?
Of course, there was no hard evidence that there was any danger at this stage.
Nothing conclusive, anyway.
Still, he couldn’t help the sense of fierce protection that rose in him. He was secure enough in himself to admit that the feeling chasing him at the moment was born of fear.
I can’t lose her. I can’t take another loss. Living without my father has been like having my soul torn in two. Now that I have her, I feel complete again. I can’t stand to put her in danger.
His mind worked on the problem for a few minutes, actively struggling with his heart. Logically, he knew she was independent and strong, and he couldn’t stop her from going.
Added to that was the knowledge that she was his fated mate, and he never wanted to be parted from her.
All of this disappeared under the force of his fear. It was like a tidal wave in his chest where good sense and logic were dashed against an unforgiving shore of loss and terror.
Rux sat up, rubbing his temples. He didn’t know if getting up and finding some coffee was going to make the situation better or worse. Dana rolled over in her sleep and settled an arm around his waist as if she were urging him to lie down with her again.
He sighed, trying to let his anxiety flow out of him with the drawn breath. He was still toying with the idea of taking a private investigator with them.
Someone fully trained in covert missions would be able to hunt down the truth far better than Dana or I could.
They would also be able to spot potential threats and help protect them.
He knew there was no possible way, though. Griffin would be suspicious of anyone extra they brought along. It was his island, and these events were strictly invitation only.
Without Dana, Rux could have found a wildly hot PI to accompany him and work the mission undercover. Now that he’d chosen his plus one, he had no choice but to stick to it.
Dana mumbled in her sleep, and he bent over her, brushing a curl of dark hair from her cheek. It wasn’t a bad thing at all that she was going with him. If it wasn’t for the murder mystery, he would have been more than happy to attend this event with his fated mate on his arm.