Beautiful Creatures Series

Darrell groaned as he placed both hands to his head. Dear merciful Lord in Heaven, his head felt like an entire construction crew was beating on his brain. He rolled over and caught a whiff of perfume. He ran his hand over the pillow next to him. It smelled like Katelyn. Lifting his head off his pillow, Darrell realized the smell was not just coming from his pillow. There was another source in the house. He climbed out of bed and made his way downstairs.

He was surprised to find Katelyn on the couch asleep. He tried to recall how she had gotten here. He vagally recalled the coffee shop. That was right. He ran into her on a date. He felt his ire rise once more. He was not sure how long they had been home, but he would guess the night given the morning sun coming through the window.

Darrell sat down on the coffee table and nudged Katelyn to wake her. She lifted her head and yawned. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know. The morning is my best guess.”

“I should get home. Can you give me a ride back into Aspen?”

“Let me guess you want me to drop you at your boyfriend’s house.”

“Please don’t start throwing a tantrum again. Carl is not my boyfriend.”

“Does he know that?”

“Carl is my cousin. We were attending his sister’s wedding. We just stopped to get coffee between the ceremony and the reception when we ran into you.”

Darrell felt foolish. “Oh.”

“I would have told you so, but then you knocked Aurora to the floor and triggered her labour.”

“Right,” he barely remembered that. “So, you don’t have a boyfriend?”

Katelyn sat up. “I haven’t been much in the dating mood. I have been dealing with the repercussions of my breakup with Nigel and your tantrum. Forgive me if I don’t feel like creating a third headache.

She sat there looking at him as he stared at her. “I’m sorry I was such a shit yesterday. It has just been really hard to get over you.”

Katelyn sighed. “You haven’t been any easier to get over.”

“I don’t want to get over you. I miss you, Katelyn.”

“I miss you too.”

“Then why did you leave. If you love me, why not stay?”

“It is because I love you that I left. I don’t want to be the reason you lose the pack.”

“I don’t want the pack to be the reason I lose you.”

“I’m sorry, Darrell, I just can’t do this. Please drive me back to Aspen, or I’ll just walk.”

“Katelyn, please. Reconsider, I have never met a woman I wanted to spend a second date with, let alone the rest of my life. That has to tell you what you mean to me. I imprinted with a human, for fuck sakes. Do you have any idea what kind of shit I took for doing that?”

“I don’t want you to give up the chance of having a family.”

“I would rather have you.”

“I don’t want to give up the chance to have a family.”

Oh, he understood. He was not enough. Katelyn wanted children, and he could not give them to her. Darrell felt his heartbreak. “I’ll take you home,” he said, trying to mask his sorrow. “There is no need to walk. Just let me clean myself up first. A quick shower and a clean set of clothes.”

said, laying

warm the water, and then he undressed, leaving the door open. As he removed the last of his clothes, he kept his back to the door, but through the mirror, he could see Katelyn had sat up and taken notice. She

***

She watched as he stepped into the shower and shut the shower door. The clear

her bottom lip, trying to ignore the tingling growing between her legs. Would it be wicked of her to hop in the shower with a man she refused to marry? She did not want him to get

the floor. Her clothes were lying in a trail to the washroom. By the time she reached the shower, she was

closed and stepped up to Darrel. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him, his mouth claiming hers in a heated, demanding kiss. She twined her arms around his shoulders. His hands slid down her back and gripped her bottom, lifting her off her feet and pressing her back against the cool tile

sensitive flesh. Her hands roamed the span of his muscled back. He felt magnificent beneath her fingers, so strong, so powerful. The idea of spending her life in

the most amazing thing she had ever seen. As the moment passed and Darrell put her on her feet once more, the light in his eyes faded back to the normal amber, and he smiled at her.

to face, and Darrell stared into her eyes and smiled. “This doesn’t change anything,”

“I know.”

***

breakfast, Darrell drove Katelyn home. It was a quiet drive. When he pulled into the driveway, the front door opened, and her parents came out. It looked as though they were going somewhere, and Darrell had blocked them in. Katelyn got out of the truck, and much to her dismay so did Darrell. He came walking around the front of the truck and smiled when

it not?” Her mother

it is,” he tipped his

Katelyn took off with some drunk jealous man. I feared

needed a ride, and

she spent the night?” Her

deciding not to add

boyfriend,” her father said, “You are a grown

both said quickly and awkwardly. “He’s not my

is he?”

in his jacket pockets, and he looked at her. “Good

he is…. we are… we are just friends.”

“Friends?” Darrell repeated.

“Yes… friends.”

parents. “We are apparently friends,” both her parents went quiet, and there was an awkward tension between them. “So, where is everyone

bride and groom are opening gifts this morning. Katelyn, why don’t you go change into something a little more casual, and you can ride with us to

you join us? I don’t think Karen will mind one extra mouth at brunch. It is just

sure Darrell is busy today,” Katelyn

do today,” he said with a cocky grin. “I would love

you there. If you could just move your truck so

“Certainly.”

and removed her dress. She opened her closet door and took down a light peach sundress, and turned to see Darrell standing in her doorway. She jumped and used the dress in her hands to cover herself

have already seen you naked many-many-many times,” he said, sauntering across the floor to her. The sultry tone in his voice and the smoulder in his eyes made her knees feel weak, and her breath catch in her chest. Darrell leaned into Katelyn, his lips hovering over her neck without contact as he breathed her in deeply. “I love the way you smell,” he whispered in her ear, then he pulled away and smiled at her. “You better get dressed. We are going to be very-very-very late,” there was

would

her back on the

***

cousin was hosting the brunch. Darrell was only a step behind her. As they came through the doors, their entrance did not go unnoticed. Their entrance had drawn the attention of the whole hall. Darrell stood beside Katelyn, who smiled with awkward embarrassment. Darrell offered the room that smile he was so good at. Then he respectfully tipped his hat. “Hello,” he then looked at the bride, who

is this man?”

Darrell,” her mother introduced him. Katelyn glared at her mother. “Oh, sorry. I meant; this is

me, the NOT boyfriend,” Katelyn covered

happened to Nigel?” Karen

know what this is not about me. Today is about you,” Katelyn told her cousin.

I want to know what happened to Nigel?” Karen insisted. “He was such a nice guy. I thought you would bring him. I liked him,” Darrell took a step closer, and

Karen snapped at him, coming to

new husband. “What is your