Dark Hunger

"Caleb?" Daryn exclaimed when he picked up his brother's call. "By Skadi! You have called me after a long time. How are you? How is Elize? When the hell are you coming back? Dawn was enquiring about Elize. I hope she is fine!" 

"Calm down Daryn," came Caleb's dry voice. "You have too many questions." 

"No, there are more," Daryn snapped. "You bloody get your ass right back to Bainsburgh. There are way too many things to discuss." 

"There are," Caleb replied and Daryn could imagine him pinching the skin between his brows. "I am on my way to Scotland," Caleb continued. "There's someone I want you to help. His name is Auril, the druid prince of Fulshire forests. He is running away from his kingdom which I suspect is to find someone. He hasn't told me anything about it though." 

"Ah-ha!" Daryn replied. "You have started becoming more and more interesting Caleb. Why is it that only princelings on the run get attracted to you?" Last time it was Ileus, Anastasia and Rolfe and now Auril. Lore had its mysterious ways. 

"Shut up!" Caleb grunted. "Next, there is something I want you to take care of." 

"What is it?" asked Daryn with his brows furrowed. Caleb sounded pretty serious. He looked at Dawn who had just entered the office with a lunch bag. He loved to see her pregnant. Her belly had grown a little and she seemed much relaxed now. He motioned her to give him a kiss on his lips, which obviously was ignored. 

Over the next fifteen minutes, Daryn listened to his brother and when he put his phone down, he looked very serious. Dawn sauntered up to him seeing his serious mien and said, "Is everything okay, honey?" She stood beside him with her hips resting on the edge of his office desk. She brushed his hair that had fallen over his forehead, back up. 

Daryn cast a glance at her and said, "Caleb has asked us to wind things up in Yorkshire." 

"Why?" Dawn asked with a frown. "If I remember, he wanted us to expand business there, and now he wants to wind it up?" 

Daryn went on to explain to her and when he was done, she said, "But that can be taken care of." Her sharp mind had already started working overtime. "It's not that difficult honey. So relax." 

A smile tugged his lips up and he pulled her in his lap. "That's why I am going to stay with you forever," he said and kissed the nape of her neck. He inhaled her familiar scent making his wolf settle. "How do you suggest we take this up?" 

"Is Neal free for a few days?" she asked, tilting her head. 

"Even if he is not, I will make sure that he is free." 

"Great, then ask him to talk to me. Arrange a meeting as soon as possible!" 

"I will," he grinned. He was so preoccupied with his work that any help would do. But Dawn's help—that was special. 

"How is Elize?" She changed the topic. 

"It seems she is finally beginning to ease and melt to him. He thinks so! But he had only faced her hatred for so long that he still can't believe that her coldness towards him is breaking. He was asking for tips about mates!" Daryn said proudly. After all, he was mated and was handling the hottest woman of the Lore, which, readers, was a feat in itself—mind it. 

Dawn raised an eyebrow knowing what her husband was feeling. "And what did you say?" 

"I said it is difficult, but doable." He continued to grin. 

"You mean I am a difficult person?" She narrowed her eyes. 

"No!" Daryn's neck muscles corded with tension. "I mean that it is doable but difficult!" 

"What the hell!" Dawn said. 

And Daryn stared at her with blank expressions. He had done it all wrong. 

--- 

She was sleeping cozily in the car on the seat when she felt that he had come inside, picked her up in his lap and then stroked her back to sleep. Elize snuggled up in his chest murmuring sweet nothings. 

Elize woke up fresh and humming like a bird. She was happy that no nightmares marred her sleep and that she felt this comfortable after a long time. She suspected she might get addicted to his lap or the way he stroked her or rocked her to sleep. She would get spoiled irreversibly. 

She opened her eyes and lolled her head in his arms lazily. He was talking to Auril. 

"Let's knock it off early today. I saw a motel sign on the previous exit." 

"But it is too early, Caleb," Auril gritted. "We can drive another one hour!" 

"Yes, I want Lizzy to get off early. She must be tired after taking a long nap. She needs to get down and walk. She's been in the car all the time. Besides, I have to buy a few things I have in mind." 

Laurel's mouth fell to the floor. Tired? The vampire had been sleeping all day long and that too like a baby in his arms, and he was saying that she was exhausted? Did exhaustion get a new definition? Tired after sleeping. "But there's no town nearby, Your Highness," she said. "Where will you buy things from?" 

"Where are we?" Elize interrupted waking up to see his muscular neck and ruffled hair and square jaw and… 

"We will reach Larne in an hour from where we will take a ferry to Cairryan and cross over to Scotland," said Auril. "I checked it in the maps." 

"Ah, I see. Actually, Larne is a nice town where you can buy whatever you like. But then why don't we stop in Larne instead of staying in a motel before the town." Elize remarked. "But what do you want to buy, Caldy?" 

His chest rumbled with approval when he leaned down and looked in her red eyes. A sigh escaped his lips. She was so beautiful even when she woke up and right now, she woke up in his arms, calling him by the nickname she gave him. Was he dreaming? He was feeling so happy that he thought it might be fleeting. He was never used to so much happiness in his life. His throat bobbed as emotions choked him.. After swallowing down the acidic burn in his throat, he said. "You will see…"