Free Point of No Return by Tara Fox Hall Page A

sent him before
he had claimed me as his own, before Theo had moved out, before my
life had changed so much.
     
    Sar, I loved your poem. As always, you are full of
surprises. This past weekend was beyond my expectations. I hope to
be with you again soon. I leave you with this thought by Charles
Jefferys:
    Let us hope the future
    As the past has been will be
    will share with thee my sorrows
    And thou thy joys with me.
    Love, Dev
     
    I printed the email out to take home and hang
on my fridge. I’d paid well for the privilege, so I might as well
enjoy it.
    After turning off the computer, I wandered
downstairs, debating whether to knock on Danial’s door or not. If I
did, he might want more from me than I could give him right now.
But if I didn’t, he was going to think I was still angry about what
he had said yesterday.
    Like so many other things lately, I had no
choice. I knocked gently. “Danial?”
    “Come in, Sar.”
    I opened the door. “I figured you heard
me.”
    “Yes. Come to me,” he said, patting the bed
beside him.
    I sat down on the bed.
    “I’m sorry about what I said on the phone.
Forgive me?”
    “I know you didn’t mean it. It’s okay.”
    Danial switched gears. “Something is wrong
with Terian. He left a voice mail for me last Monday, telling me he
would be gone for a few days. He was gone all week, Sar. He came
back briefly this weekend, to deal with Theo’s outburst, then he
was gone again in a few minutes. Do you know what he’s up to?”
    “I’m not sure,” I said, shrugging. “He
accessed some of my memories of Theo and Devlin before he left.
Afterwards, he was agitated.”
    “Which memories?” Danial said, curious. “To
what purpose? It had to be something critical, for him to leave
Theoron unguarded here.”
    “If I knew that, I’d understand why he left,”
I said good-naturedly.
    Danial bit my neck gently, running his fangs
over me, then drew back. “Sar, you smell faintly of Devlin.”
    “I just got home last night,” I said
apologetically. “I showered at Hayden.”
    Danial didn’t reply, which annoyed me. I got
up and faced him. “Do you want me to go?”
    “No,” Danial said quickly. “I’m sorry, Sar. I
have no right to give you grief. It is old jealousy; one that has
no place in what you, he, and I share now. Do not think on it
again, or worry about coming to me with his scent on your skin.” He
paused. “Do you want to lie here with me for a while? Nothing needs
to happen between us beyond that, if you’re not in the mood. I just
want very much for you to stay.”
    “Yes,” I said, sinking back gratefully. “I
need to wait for Theo to report in to you tonight. I need him to
sign those papers, and also give him a few things that he left
behind at my house.” I paused. “And there’s more. Devlin started
trying with me, Danial.”
    “Do you feel rushed?” he said. “It may take a
while to make you pregnant.”
    “It’s not that, it’s his mood swings,” I
confided. “I think everything’s wonderful, and then he suddenly
angry, or melancholy. He said he feels heavy with all of his past
on him. I don’t know what to say to him when he’s like that.”
    “Devlin is often like that,” Danial said.
“When he is in his moods, just let him be. He’ll take comfort from
your nearness and your love.” He snuggled close. “I do.”
    I hugged him, not replying. Minutes later, I
fell asleep.
    * * * *
    “Sar, it’s afternoon,” Danial whispered.
“Wake up.”
    Groggily, I looked over at the clock. It was
close to four. I stretched, and my hand brushed his naked hip.
    I froze. Danial began to kiss me gently down
the back of my neck, his hands easing beneath my clothes to cup my
breasts. I turned to him and kissed him deeply, running my hands
over his cool skin.
    Danial pulled back from me. “Are you sure?”
he said seriously, looking into my eyes. “I want you, but only if
you want me.”
    “I want you, Danial. I’m your Oathed One,
aren’t