The Dark Prince(The Dark Light Series #2)(45)

My eyes snap up to his, icy tingles stabbing my eyelids. "Go fuck yourself," I spew between gritted teeth.

I turn on my heel and stiffly make my way towards the exit of the restaurant, only too aware of the heat radiating from my fingertips. Shudders of white hot anger encapsulate my frame while a deep, agonizing ache grips my chest, causing me to struggle for every breath. I need air, but I can't seem to make it to the door fast enough.

As I approach the refuge of the double doors, a cold gust of air rips through me, blowing them wide open and startling a group of patrons waiting to be seated. I'm too angry and hurt to even question it. I just will my legs to keep walking until I reach the solitude of my little car.

I slide robotically into the car and start it up as the tremors finally begin to subside. What the fuck just happened here? How could Jared, of all people, take it there with me? And he really feels that way; he sees me as a liability. The pain plaguing my chest grows in intensity with every unanswered question. I've loved him for years, only to play second to all his dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks girlfriends and fuck buddies, yet he feels that I'm the one who's got issues? That I have been too selfish and wrapped up in my own bullshit to be happy for him or anybody else? This is ridiculous. Utterly fucking ridiculous.

Beyond his heinous insults, I try to shake the most staggering occurrence this evening. Jared had a ring. A ring that caused my breath to hitch and my heart to swell at the sight of it. And though it kills me to admit, for one fleeting second, I thought that ring was for me.

What would I have said if it was? I am undoubtedly in love with Dorian but neither one of us could say what the future holds. And he's made it brutally clear that he has no intention of ever making me his wife. It had never been important to me before but I guess knowing that it could never be a possibility for us has made me somewhat crave matrimony. Plus he said that he wanted me to try to achieve a normal life, a life that didn't include him one day. What does that mean? That his promise of forever means absolutely nothing? Why doesn't he understand that there is no me without him?

Not quite ready to go home and face Morgan's questioning glare, I decide to head to the Broadmoor. Dorian had said that he would be in later and would call me when he got in. Right now, more than ever, I need his comfort, his reassurance. His validation. He is the only person that makes me feel like I am more than just a floundering, pathetic girl with no real goals or aspirations. He makes me feel strong and resilient. I need him right now, and not merely for his encouragement. I need to feel him. I need to feel his skin on mine, pushing away the dreary clouds darkening my fragile heart. He's the only one who sees just how delicate and broken that I really am. Even through the tough exterior, he knows I am just a little girl. His little girl. Frightened and lonely in a world that rejects what I am. That dispels my entire existence.

As I approach the elaborate double doors of Dorian's suite, removing my key card from my purse, I get an overwhelming feeling of unease. Dread sweeps over me, causing the hairs in the back of my neck to stand at attention and my stomach to churn the tiny bits of food I was able to eat at dinner. I put some pep in my step and book it to doors, anxious to surround myself in Dorian's space until he returns.

"What the hell?" I sputter as I enter the living room. I don't even realize that I've lost the grip on the strap of my purse until it tumbles to the ground, splaying its contents on the beige carpet. My heart races at an immeasurable pace yet I feel like I'm in a slow motion sequence of a really horrible movie. And this would be the climax when shit gets real.

"What are you doing here? And you … what the hell is going on?" I ask looking between Dorian and Aurora, each of them wearing a mix of shock and horror. It's evident that I walked in on a very heated, intimate conversation. "Um, hello? Somebody better start talking. NOW!"

Aurora puts a hand on her very narrow hip and walks over to me, donning a curve-hugging sheath dress and her signature ridiculously high heels. "Oh relax, Gabriella. We were just talking. It figures you'd be the first to congratulate us."

I look to Dorian, who still is wearing his alarmed expression. He's dressed in a dark suit, white shirt without a tie, the top few buttons unfastened to expose a small patch of smooth, hard chest. His hand grips the crystal glass of scotch he's holding and I'm afraid he'll shatter it any second now.

"Dorian? What the hell is going on? I'm not going to ask again." He licks his lips nervously, the pinkness of his tongue catching my eye and almost distracting me. Oh hell no! That shit is not working today!

Aurora steps into my line of vision, holding out her perfectly manicured left hand. On it lies the biggest diamond I have ever seen, gleaming brightly on her ring finger. "Gorgeous, isn't it?" she beams.

I look back to Dorian, still clutching the glass at his side. "Explain. Now."

He lets out a ragged breath, his broad shoulders falling with resignation. "Something happened. Something out of my control. I'm so sorry, Gabriella, but-"

"We're engaged!" Aurora interjects, wriggling her fingers in my face. "We're getting married!"

I stagger backwards, the air exiting my chest so quickly that it leaves me completely breathless. I can sense movement in front of me, but my clouded eyes are unable to focus. Muffled voices and the jingle of feminine laughter echo in the distance. I'm sinking, falling away from this hell.

Snap the fuck out of it, Gabs.

"What did you just say?" I say snapping back to the here and now. There's no way I heard that right. First Jared and now Dorian? My Dorian? Un-fucking-believable!

"I said Dorian and I are engaged. Beautiful ring, isn't it?" Aurora snickers.

My head jerks to Dorian, who is wound so tight, he looks like he's about to have an aneurism. "You bought it yourself, Aurora. Stop acting like a child," he grumbles. Tentatively, he closes the distance between us, his eyes cautiously searching. "Gabriella, have a seat so we can talk." He motions with his hands but makes no attempt to touch me.

"I don't want to sit. I want you to tell me what the fuck she's talking about. You're … engaged?" I quell all feelings of sorrow and let my rage take the reins.

"It's not what you think." Dorian looks back at a smiling Aurora and a frustrated growl quakes his chest before turning back to me. "She made a deal. It was the only way to keep you and your family safe."

"What do you mean, ‘she made a deal'? What kind of deal? And since when has my safety been guaranteed?" I take a step forward into the room, eager to get to the bottom of this.

"Aurora deceived me. She deceived all of us," he grits, trying to ignore Aurora's wind-chime laughter behind him. "And the only reason why she is even allowed to fucking breathe is because I would do anything to keep you safe, my love. I had to. Your life was threatened and I had to."

"Threatened by whom?" I ask placing an attitude-fueled fist on my hip more forcefully than I intend.

Dorian lets out an exasperated sigh. "Everyone."

"Everyone? Who the hell is everyone?"

He shakes his head. "I didn't know … there have been changes. The Light, the Dark … relations have been less than cordial. And once the Light caught wind of our relationship, they grew worried. They thought we- that I- would influence you. That I would fill you with so much of myself that you would have no other choice but to choose the Dark. These tensions have threatened certain agreements between Light and Dark forces. And some of the Dark families are worried that you could make things difficult for them."

"But that's not my fault!" I shout, feeling the makings of fresh tears. I blink them away. Hell no, I refuse to cry.

"I know that. We know that. Then Aurora came up with the asinine idea that if she and I were to marry, that it would be enough to placate the Light. My father agreed. Plus he saw this as a good opportunity to join houses; to create a new elite breed of our kind by joining the Skotos and the órexes."

I cringe, understanding exactly what Dorian means. Join houses, create a new breed … The Dark King wants them to have children. To spawn a new type of power. I swallow down the quickly rising bile, rejecting the urge to vomit. I will not give that bitch the satisfaction of seeing me sick and depleted.

"Don't do it," I croak, shaking my head. "Please. I won't let you do it."

Aurora sashays towards us, a disgustingly pleased look on her face. "It's already done. The deal has been made. And there's no going back now. Plus, I've already started shopping for dresses!"

"Why are you so fucking spiteful?" I snarl, taking a step forward. The room suddenly begins to hum, the floor vibrating under our feet. "You did this purposely to tear us apart! You are so miserable with your own existence, so … pathetic that Dorian doesn't want you anymore that you had to go pull some backdoor shit like this!"

"Me? Miserable?" Aurora scoffs, holding her left hand to her chest, the gleam of the massive diamond catching in the light. "Why would I be miserable, Gabriella? Dorian is marrying me, not you. He chose me!"

"But you know he doesn't love you!" I scream.

"Oh really? Well, guess what?" she smiles.

"Aurora! Enough!" Dorian barks.