Chapter 27 - TWENTY-SEVEN - ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME?

Chapter 27: Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN - ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME?They sat in silence for a bit before Serena looked up at Darius, she fiddled with the spoon in her head. "Are you sure?" she asked at last, her voice gentle but insistent. " It wouldn’t take much time to make something for your headache." Darius smiled to himself before waving a dismissive hand. "I’m alright, Serena." He could tell she wasn’t satisfied with his answer. She wanted to say more but kept it to herself. The sound of spoons scraping against ceramic dishes echoed in the dining area. He pointed at Serena, and she looked around wildly. "You have something... no... there." A bit of pie had gotten onto her cheek, and he was trying to point it out to her. She blinked at him before reaching up blindly, missing the spot entirely. Darius leaned forward, brushing his thumb against her cheek to wipe it away. He caught himself and quickly sat back, looking away from her. Serena grabbed a napkin, almost knocking over her cup in the process, then pressed it to her cheek, wiping off the residue. "Thank you," she said quietly. "It’s my pleasure." Serena continued eating, but now she seemed uncomfortable, almost squirming. When it went on for too long, Darius decided he could no longer ignore it. "Did niperkins possess your seat, or are there ants under it?" he asked, stifling a smile. Serena choked on her sip of water, quickly setting her cup down before wiping at her mouth. "No, but-" she looked around as if about to reveal a secret. "Forgive me if this offends you, but I don’t particularly like large buildings." Darius tilted his head, considering her words. Serena was a rogue, born of a rogue. It made sense. She did lived her whole life in the wild. "Hm. You haven’t scurried out of this one, at least," Darius said. "Yes, I haven’t. It would be rude," she replied. Darius nearly laughed. So, it would be rude to leave, not because he had asked her to leave the manor without his permission? "I normally have my meals outside. Sometimes, it feels suffocating in here." Darius glanced around the area, looking at all the furniture and finally his eyes rested on Serena. Over time, more exposure to other creatures, especially humans and vampires, had changed a lot of werewolf culture. So they began living in houses, living their human form, adopting foreign culture into theirs. "Would you like to go outside?" He asked. He was amused by the way her green eyes seemed to light up. She stood quickly, both hands on the table. To him, Serena was more carefree than most of the pack. Ironshade had always been uptight, and everyone seemed to reflect that. But she was different- clearly, she was. Darius followed her lead, and the pair ended up in the manor’s backyard, sharing a meal of moonshade pies. Hardly a meal, he considered it a snack. She seemed more relaxed now, sitting on the manor’s steps. She pulled her knees up slightly, balancing the plate on her lap. "I thought you were busy?" Serena asked, glancing at him. Darius leaned fully against the door behind him. "This is my day off." Serena arched a brow before popping a bite of pie into her mouth, chewing slowly. "I see," she began. "And you decided to spend it... at the manor?" Darius didn’t have a day off. In truth, he had only come to get her to see the Moonseeker. So why was he biding his time, trying to ease her spirit, when he could simply take her straight away? A rogue, pulling him into doing things he would have strictly forbidden himself from doing. He wasn’t sure if he was amused or irritated by the fact. There were documents to review and sign, wolves he was supposed to visit, rooms in the castle that needed inspecting. So much to do, yet here he was, telling this woman he had nothing to do. "Is there a problem?" he asked, watching Serena out of the corner of his eye. Serena glanced at him before looking toward the rose bushes ahead. She shifted slightly, her fingers still playing with her dress before finally releasing it. "None at all." Darius wasn’t convinced. "It’s just that-" she paused, clenching her gown, once more. "Why are you here?" He placed his plate on the stone steps. She was an untrusting one, alright. It pricked at him- the way she questioned him. What could have happened to make her so wary? "Are you afraid of me?" He asked. His voice was quiet but firm. He tilted his head slightly, watching her carefully, Darius watched her intently, waiting for both her spoken and unspoken answer in her body language. Darius clenched his jaw, irritated by his own anticipation. Why did he care so much about her response? He disliked the way his heartbeat quickened, the sweat that trailed down his neck as he waited. "I am a rogue, so naturally, I would be," she finally answered, her voice calm and rehearsed. He stroked his chin, his gaze landing on the rose bushes that had caught her attention. Darius wasn’t sure what to make of her response. It was as if she had a book of appropriate replies for every question she might be asked. He didn’t really know her. The pair sat in silence for a while before Darius spoke again. "I am Darius Hawthorne." The blonde woman turned to him, brows raised in surprise. Darius couldn’t help it, the unnatural attraction he felt toward her. It disgusted him. He knew better. His curiosity was paving the way for something more. And that would come back to bite his fingers in thr future. "I am Serena Evers," she said, returning his introduction. Darius stood, looking at the rose bushes, his mind far off in thought. He was being a fool right now. Pull yourself together, he scolded himself. "You are a fool," Ronan commented. Darius cut off the link before Ronan could say more. Grabbing his plate off the steps, he nodded curtly to Serena. "The pie was good," he said, heading inside without another word, leaving her with the rose bushes.