The Darkness We Hide

Two months passed so quickly Michelle barely noticed she was so happy. One evening, Michelle lay in Gareth’s arms sweating and panting after another round of dynamic sex.

“So much for dinner,” Michelle gasped, gesturing towards the cold plates of food on the kitchen counter.

“Yeah,” Gareth sighed following her finger. “But at this point I’m a little too tired to eat.”

“You know,” she said, looking around at Gareth’s sumptuous apartment, “I could get used to this.”

“This?” he asked, nuzzling her ear.

“No,” she giggled, moving away from his lips. “Your apartment. It’s amazing.”

“I guess,” he sighed, reclining against his pillows.

“‘I guess’?” Michelle mocked, turning to look at him. “This place must cost a fortune in rent.”

Though a loft, his apartment was in the heart of Portage Bay with a view overlooking the Sound and million dollar mansions along the coastline.

Her own arap

“It’s a little steep,” Gareth said, reaching for her, “but worth it.”

“Gareth,” she replied, moving to look at him. “You told me you were only working occasional construction jobs, and receiving disability. How can you afford all of this?”

“I can’t, but my parents can,” he sighed, dropping his hand, as he pushed into a sitting position to be face to face with her. “We’re not rich, but we’re not poor either.”

“You know, you'd think after two months I would know that about you,” Michelle said with a smile. “I remember being so worried about how much you spent on my scarf at the pier, but maybe I let you off too cheap.

"There’s a Chihuly gallery I’ve been dying to visit,” she laughed, thinking how silly it would be to have a seven thousand dollar piece of glass in her crap apartment.

“Well,” he purred, pulling her into his arms, “I guess we have to make plans for another date.”

Michelle giggled turning to face him.

“Life is funny, you know?” she said.

“How so?” he asked, kissing her nose.

“I never wanted to date anyone after Richard,” she replied, tracing his jaw with her finger. “Then you show up in my life and make me think I might give it another try.”

Gareth laughed bringing his lips down to her’s. His kiss was no less demanding, no less passionate that it had been hours before. With a growl, he pulled her on top of himself, sliding her onto his ready member. She moaned deeply with pleasure as he began moving inside of her.

As their rhythm quickened, Gareth dug his fingernails into her thighs trying desperately to pull her even closer, but at her moan of pain, he slackened his grip but did not release her.

As he climaxed he cried her name, the sound of it echoing off the walls like thunder.

“Oh Gods,” he panted, as Michelle collapsed next to him.

She was intoxicating, he and his beast couldn’t seem to get enough of her, and not just her body. Being near her was just as exhilarating, though not as much fun, as the sex.

Even being with Caroline had never felt like this. Was it the fact that she was his destined mate that made her so breath-takingly fascinating? Could that be the reason Richard wanted her too, did he see her Goddess given aura as plainly as himself?

Pulling her closer to his side, Gareth vowed that he would never let anything happen to her. He would make sure that she was protected from any threat, be they lycan, werewolf or any other type of living thing.

Feeling her curled form relaxing in his embrace, he pulled her closer, his beast surfacing to share the sensation of the tingles running up and down his nerve endings whenever her touch her.

Starting at the tip of her fingers, he traced lazy patterns on her arm as he worked closer and closer to her face.

Gently pushing a lock of hair away from her peacefully resting face, Gareth felt his breath catch at just how beautiful she truly was. He knew that if he were to live another hundred lifetimes he'd never find another woman as perfect as his mate, his Michelle.