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.”

wait,” she said, laying

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 was doing her best not to look

***

watched as he stepped into the shower and shut the shower door. The clear see-through glass door. She watched as

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 wrong idea. Then again, she already knew that Darrell did not have qualms about casual sex.

the floor. Her clothes were lying in a trail to the washroom. By the time

Darrell. She pulled the doors 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

so powerful. The idea of spending her life in this man’s arms was so alluring. It was so tempting, but she knew if

him, Katelyn saw the moment he reached his own climax when his eyes grew bright. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. As the moment passed and Darrell put her on her feet once

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

“I know.”

***

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 he was greeted by her parents. He shook her father’s hand. “Afternoon, Sir,”

it not?” Her

he tipped his hat in

you again. I was so worried when Carl said Katelyn took off with some drunk jealous man. I

and your daughter was so kind

she spent the night?” Her father

said, deciding not to add to things by mentioning

her father said, “You are a grown woman. You don’t need to explain

said quickly and awkwardly. “He’s

he?” Her mother asked.

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

are… we are just

“Friends?” Darrell repeated.

“Yes… friends.”

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

were heading out to the wedding brunch. The 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 the brunch,” her

will mind one extra mouth at brunch. It is just going to be

no, I’m sure Darrell is busy today,” Katelyn replied.

said with a cocky grin. “I

to the brunch. We will meet you there. If you could just move your truck so we can get

“Certainly.”

to her room and kicked off her heels, 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

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

I would

the bed, bracing himself above her as he ate at her

***

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

is this

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

boyfriend,” Katelyn covered her face. Dear Lord, give her the

to Nigel?”

Today is about you,” Katelyn told her

liked him,” Darrell took

him, coming to

the new husband. “What