Tasting Darkness
Tempting Darkness Chapter 2: Darius Pov

All night I was awake. I couldn’t sleep. I had completely forgotten about the true meaning of keeper. She would know our darkest secrets, even the ones not even my mates knew, and some I kept were unforgivable.

I was too ashamed to tell them, too afraid they would run from me if they knew the sort of monster I truly was. I could feel her so easily through the bond, feel her fear as she lived through what Kalen endured. Feel her burning anger at what they did to him. I wondered what she would think of my past, how much she would turn against me once the truth was out.

We all had secrets, but none of them kept the secrets I did. None of them had done what I did. They all thought they were monsters. I was the biggest monster of all. Hearing the door push open, I see Lycus walk in. His wolf sniffed the air before coming over to the bed.

He climbed up, laying across Kalen and me. I stroke his fur, and he purrs, resting his head on Kalen’s lower back, his tail swishing back and forth in the air happily. Tobias flicked his wrist toward the door closing it before turning his attention back to me. Tobias watched me. I could feel his eyes on me, feel his burning curiosity. I knew he was also worried about Aleera knowing his past, knowing about his brother. At the same time, he wanted answers too.

Some part of him wanted her to know what she took from him. He may act like he has forgiven her, but I know he hasn’t. I could feel it festering inside him, yet the bond was irresistible, and he was done fighting it.

We all had lost something because of her, maybe not directly because of her, but what would happen when they learned everything started with what I did? All of it was my fault. Everything that happened was my fault. I never should have gone looking for her. If I had known whose daughter she was, I would have waited until she came of age before seeking her out.

I was not expecting her father to answer that door. What were the chances that I would be bonded to my father’s greatest enemy’s daughter? Aleera was his best-kept secret, but knowing what I know now.

I was certain he was the one that unleashed the plague. Hearing a commotion downstairs, Kalen jumped, sitting upright. I grip Lycus’s fur as he growls and stands glaring at the door. Tobias gets up. ”For crying out loud. What now?” Tobias growls, stalking toward the closet. Shaking my head, I push Lycus back so I can get up before k!ssing Kalen when he rolls off me. Getting up, I walk to the dresser. ”Wait here,” I tell Lycus and Kalen.

I grab a tank top, pulling it on before walking out of the room and down the corridor. Tobias cursing as the racket grew louder as the recruits freaked out about something downstairs. ”What time is it?” I asked Tobias.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket. ”5 am,” he growls, shaking his head. We walked down the stairs to the next level. The recruits were freaking out about something, and I could see them all looking out the windows. Some even rushed back up the stairs to their rooms.

”What the fu*ck is going on?” I boomed, leaning over the banister and looking at the ground floor. They all froze, looking up at us, and Tobias cursed while a few pointed out the windows. All of them are too stunned to speak, and Tobias growls. ”Back to your rooms!” Tobias snapped, his voice echoing like a thunderclap, and they took off.

Waiting for the stampede of men to scatter, we descended down to the next level. Grabbing one of the stragglers, I yanked him toward me. ”What is going on?” I snarled at him, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish as he shook. I shoved him away, looking up to see haunted peering faces staring back at us.

”You call yourselves an army?” I bellowed angrily. Tobias turned toward the double doors. Some ran. Others shrieked when someone on the top level spoke up. ”I wouldn’t go out,” he said, and Tobias froze, looking at him and I, him. He looked out the windows, and I moved to the wide double doors and glanced out but saw nothing.

”F*cking bunch of p*ssy,” Tobias snapped. He shoves the doors open and stalks outside, and so do I. ” I swear if this is a f*cking prank, I am opening veins, ” Tobias snapped as we stepped outside. Looking around, we saw nothing. Shaking my head, we started walking toward the huge obstacle course to replace what they were scared of.

”You have been quiet tonight,” Tobias states, nudging me. ”Just thinking,” ”You’re worried about her replaceing out her parents are alive,” Tobias says, and I sigh. That wasn’t what I was worried about. ”You might as well tell me. We will replace out anyway,” Tobias says as we stop at the edge of the obstacle course.

”What the f*ck is that? ” Tobias says, looking at the climbing wall. He points, and I follow his finger to notice something torn apart and bloody perched on top of the wall. Sniffing the air, it was definitely b***d. I growl, stalking toward it to see better, yet the closer we got, the more unidentifiable it became. ”You going to answer?” Tobias asked as we climbed the hill toward the center of the obstacle course.

”What if I did kill someone?” I ask, and Tobias stops. He looks at me, and I look toward the forest, unable to meet his gaze. ”I think she would understand you killing your father, Darius,” ”Not him,” I admit. Tobias seems taken aback, and his shock hits me through the bond.

I swallow, and he steps closer before grabbing my arm and shaking me. ”What did you do?” he snarls. ”I killed him,” I tell Tobias. Though I had a reason, it was also a reason for her to hate me when she found out. ”Who?” ”Her father,” I tell him. Tobias lets me go and tilts his head to the side. ”No, I was there. I would have seen you do it?” but he also knew I wasn’t lying was just hoping I was.

”It was when I went back in,” I tell him. ”Darius!” ”So you f*cking killed them?” Tobias snapped. ”No, her mother got away, and she is lucky she did because I would have killed her too, but,” I tried to explain. ”You killed her father?” he asks again and I nod.

”F*ck Darius! How could you keep this from me?” ”She already assumed I killed them, and I didn’t think. He was a f*cking elder,” I let out a breath. ”He is also guilty for unleashing the f*cking plague. You could have told me!” Tobias forever, my defender. I swallowed guiltily, I never killed him for what he did to Aleera but for what he said to me.

”F*ck! Darius, she would be pissed knowing they were alive, but to replace out you actually did kill them,” ”Her father, her mother is still alive,” I tell him, and he clutches his hair and gurses.” Anything else I need to f*cking know?” he asks and I press my l!ps in a line. ” There is more, isn’t there?” ”You’re unbelievable,” he says, storming off toward the obstacle course.

Tobias climbs the climbing wall, grabbing whatever it is and ripping it off, letting it fall to the ground in a heap. ” We agreed on no secrets, Darius! What else? ” He snaps before jumping from the top and landing beside me. ”Darius!” ”Shut up,” I snap, squatting next to the torn-apart creature or what was left of it.

Tobias growls and walks off, and I see him pick up something on the other side of the wall before tossing it at my feet. It was a cow head. I take a step back. ”It’s a cow,” Tobias says, and I look at the climbing wall. ”Now, how did a cow get up there?” I ask, and Tobias growls. ”How else? It is a f*cking prank. I am going to kill them,” Tobias says, storming off back toward the castle in a burning rage.

I didn’t know who he was madder at, me or the recruits. Climbing the hill again, I get to the peak, and Tobias was further ahead when color caught my eye, making me peer up at the roof. My feet stop in horror as I gasped. I look at Tobias, unaware of what is right above him. Opening a portal, I appear beside him and grab his arm.

”What?” he snaps, and I point to the roof. Tobias looks up and takes a step back. ”F*ck me!” he gasps, and I look around at the trees and tap his shoulder. Tobias turns, his eyes also going to the trees. How we missed it, I did not know.

”That’s impossible. They are almost extinct,” he whispers. ”Apparently not. They were just waiting for their master,” I tell him, turning back to peer up at the roof. ”There are hundreds of them!” Tobias shrieks. ”Explains the dead cow,” I tell him, nearly choking on my spit.

”What do you think they want?” Tobias asked. ”Geez, I don’t know, Tobias, go ask one? What do you think they want?” I snap at him. ”Aleera!” We both say simultaneously. ”She has a f*cking army of them,” Tobias murmurs.

”Well, you better hope you don’t have too many secrets because she unleashes those things, you’re f*cked,” Tobias says, storming off toward the castle doors. ”And I ain’t feeding them,” he calls over his shoulder.

I looked up at the roof, and I could not see a single tile. Hundreds of phoenix’s all perched like a sea of flaming color, every inch of the roof was obscured by them. But if this was after obtaining her power and marking one of us, what would she bring when she owned all of us? But more importantly, if they could sense her, who else could?