Page 70 of Royal Beast
“I’m fine, Max,” I snap, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”
I’m done arguing. The rumors are completely ridiculous. Brigit Brannagan left of her own volition, according to Kellan. She moved overseas.
A little voice in my head has me questioning that.Is it true, though? Did Lachlan Sr. kill his wife?
I shake my head, refusing to give in to the voice. It’s not true, and I won’t let Max or Guy make me doubt Kellan. Not aftereverything he’s done for me. I’m going to put my faith in him because he’s never let me down when I needed him.
My father seems to grow tired after our discussion, his eyes drifting closed as exhaustion settles into his features. I take this as an opportunity to politely usher Guy out of the room, insisting that Max needs his rest.
I turn back to my father, who’s already drifting off to sleep, his face relaxed for the first time in hours. The tension in my shoulders loosens, but only slightly.
I reach for my phone and text Kellan, letting him know I’ll be home soon to grab some clothes. I need to stay at the hospital longer, at least for now. I can’t leave my dad alone in this condition.
I place my phone back in my bag and walk back to Max’s bedside, brushing his hair gently out of his face. “I’m sorry for fighting with you. Just rest now, okay?”
Max barely nods, already sinking into a deeper sleep, but then, his hand shoots out and grips my wrist, holding me still.
“Darcy…” His voice is weak, but there's a sharpness to it. I meet his gaze, and his eyes are clearer now, more intense. “I’m worried about you.”
A chill crawls down my spine.
“You shouldn’t be with him,” Max adds, his voice low, almost a whisper.
For a moment, the air between us feels heavy, like there's more to his words than just fatherly concern. There’s an almost unspoken threat in the way he says it, as if he knows something I don’t. As if he’s seen things I haven’t.
My heart skips a beat, and my chest tightens. I want to pull away from his grip, to say that I can’t let him control me anymore, but a part of me wonders if there’s truth to his warning. He’s my father and he only wants what’s best for me, right?
I force a smile, pushing the doubt down. “Dad, I’m fine. Kellan is a good man.”
Max’s fingers tighten around my wrist for a second, his grip more insistent now. “He’s not what he seems, Darcy. You don’t know what you’re walking into.”
I swallow hard, my mind racing. There’s a bitter taste in my mouth, but I refuse to let it show.
I try to pull my wrist free, but Max holds me fast, his eyes never leaving mine. “Just be careful. Promise me.”
My breath catches in my throat, and for a fleeting second, I’m not sure if I’m talking to my father or if I’m hearing something else entirely. His warning hangs in the air, but I brush it off. Dad isn’t trying to upset me. He’s just worried.
I pull my wrist free gently, forcing a smile that feels like it might crack at any moment. “I’ll be fine, Dad. I promise.”
34
KELLAN
I’m sitting in the dark, the soft hum of the living room's ambient noise the only sound in the house.
The night feels too long, the hours stretching into a weight I can’t shake. Darcy hasn’t come home yet, and I don’t know what’s taking her so long, but every minute that ticks feels longer than the last.
The door creaks open softly, and I jump up immediately. I know it’s Darcy, I don’t even have to look to see it’s her.
I don’t say anything at first. She steps into the apartment, her silhouette framed by the dim light from the hallway. Her shoulders are slumped, and I can see the exhaustion in the way she moves, as though she’s carrying the weight of the world. My chest tightens, but the knot of worry I’ve been holding in my gut since she left starts to uncurl.
She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t need to. Her eyes meet mine, and everything that’s been left unsaid between us hangs in the air, too heavy to ignore. I cross the room in a few strides, reaching her just as she pulls off her coat, her movements slow and deliberate.
When I finally close the space between us, there are no words. Not yet. She looks up at me, her eyes full of everything we’ve both been holding in all day—the frustration, the worry, the fear, but something else too, something softer.
Without a word, I pull her into me, my arms wrapping around her tightly. She lets out a long breath as she presses her face into my chest, and as I feel the tension leave her body in that one exhale, I realize how badly we both need this.
She tilts her head up, her lips brushing mine in a soft, lingering kiss, trying to say everything we can’t express with words. I kiss her back, pulling her closer, feeling the heat of her against me as though she’s grounding me. As we embrace, everything else fades away. All the stress, all the worries, all the chaos from today, it all melts into the background. It's just her and me.
