(Darius)
I sat at my desk, elbows on the wood, hands pressed against my temples. The headache that had been building all afternoon seemed to intensify with every passing second. My mind, a storm of thoughts and emotions, wouldn’t quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, it was her. Lauren. Not Emma. Not my mate.
What the hell was happening to me?
I leaned back in my chair, running my hands through my hair. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t breathe. I had never felt so out of control in my life. I wasn’t the kind of man who let his emotions rule him. But ever since Lauren—since that drink, that moment when she looked at me, I felt like I was slipping.
My thoughts kept drifting back to her. The way she moved, the way her eyes locked onto mine as if she saw straight through me. The quiet co
