IRYNA
"Iryna…"
My mother's voice sliced through the night. For one frozen second, none of us moved.
I was still trapped between Dark's arms, my back pressed against the cold brick wall, his body towering over mine like a living shadow. The porch light spilled across his face, illuminating the sharp angles of his jaw and the calm, unreadable expression in his dark eyes.
My mother stood in the doorway, staring at us. Her gaze dropped to his hands braced on either side of my head. Then to the space—far too small—between our bodies.
Then back to my face.
"What exactly is going on here?" she asked slowly.
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
"This is not what it—"
I pushed against Dark's chest.
Big mistake.
The moment my palms touched him, warmth shot through my arms like a spark. I froze. Dark didn't move. Didn't even blink. But something in his gaze shifted—something dark and aware. I shoved him harder. This time he stepped back easily, releasing me. My lungs filled with air I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
My mother's eyes narrowed.
"And you are?" she asked carefully.
Dark turned toward her. And then—infuriatingly—he smiled. Not a polite smile.A confident one. The kind that made it seem like he had already decided the entire situation belonged to him.
"I'm Dar... Darien," he said.
My mother blinked.
"Darien?"
"That's his name," I agreed quickly before he would change his mind and blurt out Dark to my mother.
Her eyes moved between us again.
"And why exactly were you pinning my daughter against the wall?"
I opened my mouth. Dark answered first.
"She was about to come inside and tell you about us."
My brain stopped. About us?
My mother frowned slightly. "About… what exactly?"
Dark stepped close. Then he said, calmly:
"I'm her boyfriend."
My jaw dropped.
"What—"
"And," he added smoothly, "her soon to be husband."
Silence exploded across the porch. My mother stared at him. Then at me. Then back at him.
"Iryna," she said slowly, "do you have something you'd like to explain?"
"Yes," I said immediately. "He's lying."
Dark tilted his head slightly.
"Am I? Oh come on, baby. Don't be shy."
He had completely gone mad!!
"Shut up!" I snapped.
My mother folded her arms.
"Then why were the two of you practically glued together against my wall?"
I opened my mouth. Closed it again. Because I had absolutely no good answer for that. Dark looked far too pleased with himself.
"I told you," he said mildly, "she was about to tell you."
"I was not!" I hissed.
My mother looked between us again, suspicion slowly turning into curiosity.
"Well," she said finally, stepping aside and opening the door wider, "this sounds like a conversation that should probably happen inside."
"No—" I started. She wasn't just going to allow a demon into our house!
Dark was already moving.
"I agree," he said calmly.
He stepped past her and into the house like he had lived there his entire life. My mother watched him go, clearly intrigued.
Then she turned to me.
"Iryna," she said quietly.
"Y... yes?"
"Why does your boyfriend look like he just stepped out of a movie?" She grinned.
I groaned.
"He's not my boyfriend."
From inside the living room, Dark's voice drifted back.
"We're engaged."
I closed my eyes. I was going to kill him.
"Come inside before the neighbors start watching," my mother called from the living room.
I dragged a hand down my face and stepped through the doorway, already dreading whatever disaster Dark—Darien, apparently—had decided to create next.
He stood in the middle of our living room like he owned the place.
The soft yellow lamp light washed over him, catching the dark waves of his hair and the sharp line of his cheekbones. He looked… wrong here. Too perfect. Too composed. Like a shadow that had somehow learned how to wear a human body. My mother was watching him with open curiosity. Dark noticed me enter and smiled slightly.
I glared back.
"You lied to her," I muttered under my breath.
"I adjusted the truth," he replied calmly.
"You said we're dating."
"Yes. Isn't that what humans call it? Boyfriend."
"We are not."
He tilted his head.
"We are as long as she's concerned."
Before I could respond, my mother cleared her throat.
"Enough whispering you two," she said, folding her arms lightly, "So, Darien..."
Dark turned to her politely.
"Yes, Mrs Grey?"
Since when was he polite?
"Where exactly have you been all this while? My daughter never told me she had a boyfriend."
The question hung in the air. I opened my mouth immediately.
"He hasn't— It's..." I tried to argue but stopped when Dark smoothly reached into his coat and pulled out a phone.
I froze. A phone? For a split second my brain refused to process what I was seeing. He really was prepared for this. Dark noticed my expression and his lips curved faintly. Then he turned the screen toward my mother.
"Perhaps this will explain," he said.
My mother leaned closer. On the screen was a photo. My breath caught. It was me. And him. Standing together in a park I had never been to. My arm wrapped around his waist like it belonged there. His hand resting casually on my shoulder. Both of us smiling.
My stomach dropped.
"That's impossible," I whispered. What the hell?
Dark swiped the screen. Another photo appeared. This time we were sitting at a café table. I was laughing at something he had said. The image looked so natural, so real, it made my skin crawl. Swipe.
A video.
My mother pressed play before I could stop her. On the screen, Dark and I walked side by side down a quiet street and it even looked like I was the one taking the video. He leaned down and said something that made me laugh again before pulling me into a quick kiss.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
"That— that's not real," I breathed.
Dark didn't even look at me. What couldn't this man do? The terrified thought flashed through my mind. My mother's expression softened as she watched the screen.
"Oh," she murmured.
Dark took the phone back and slipped it into his pocket.
"I was away for work," he said smoothly. "But we stayed in contact."
My mother nodded slowly, clearly piecing together a story in her head. Then her gaze shifted toward me.
"And you never mentioned him?"
"I—"
"She didn't want to worry you. You know, with the whole thing with her health." Dark said gently. "She had been trying to push me away because she doesn't... have much time left. But I had refused to give in to that nonsense."
My head snapped toward him. Worry her? He really should apply for a lead role in any drama. My mother's face changed slightly.
"You know about… Iryna's issue?" she asked quietly.
My stomach twisted. Dark's expression shifted. For the first time since arriving, his smile faded. Sadness touched his eyes—so convincing it almost fooled me. I quickly recalled when he told me he could express emotions but didn't feel them. What a manipulator.
"I do. I love your daughter, Mrs Grey and I had been begging her to marry me but she's not been making it easy for me." he said softly.
My mother's shoulders sank slightly.
"It doesn't matter if there is no... No much time left?"
"Yes."
His answer came without hesitation.
"That's why we're doing it soon," he continued quietly.
My mother frowned.
"How soon?"
"Three days."
I choked.
"What?!"
Dark didn't even glance at me.
"We want to make the most of the time we have left," Dark said calmly, his voice low and steady, "but it would only happen with your acceptance… and your blessings. Iryna feels that if she married me, I'd be stealing her remaining days with you."
He paused, letting the words settle. His gaze softened, almost human in its sincerity. "And… I understand that completely. But I… I wouldn't take her from you. I love her too much to do that. I just want her to be my wife. I've always… wanted that."
The room fell into a hush. My mother's eyes fixed on him, studying every line of his face, and slowly softened. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes.
"I want nothing but happiness for my daughter," she whispered, voice cracking slightly. "If being your wife would make her happy, then I'd be the happiest mother on earth. That'd be the best gift for me."
Her gaze turned toward me, warm and expectant. I froze. No. She bought his lies. She actually believed him.
"Why didn't you tell me, honey?" she asked, softly.
I exhaled and moved to sit beside her, trying to steady my racing heart. "Um… I didn't want to worry you, Mom. With… everything—hospital, the treatments, all of it—I just… I didn't want to make it harder for you. And… I didn't want to… to tell you about having a boyfriend. It was complicated. I just wanted to focus on you."
She shook her head gently, but firmly. "No, sweetheart. Have you forgotten yourself? You've always wanted to find the perfect man who would love you dearly. You told me once that love was all you ever wanted, and that it would be your greatest joy to find someone who would stand by you through everything."
My eyes flicked toward Dark. He was grinning, smug and completely entertained. Oh no. I need to shut my mom up before she starts blurting out my secrets.
"Yeah… I… I didn't… I thought he would… leave me," I murmured, feeling my cheeks heat up.
Her hands remained on my face, and her expression softened into a gentle certainty. "And he didn't, sweetheart. He's rare. Truly rare. You shouldn't let him go just because you're scared. Enjoy what you have—you deserve good things."
Oh gosh, if only she knew. If only she knew the foundation of all my problems sat right across from her, smiling, spinning lies as effortlessly as breathing.
"Please marry him, honey," she said, her voice light and teasing, yet full of hope. "He's… he's like he stepped out of a movie. A beautiful man."
I groaned inwardly. Someone, please, stop my mother.
Dark's grin widened, and he smoothly leaned forward. "The three of us," he said, voice warm and confident, "will have the best time of our lives." That actually more like a threat.
My mother nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes. We would. Do you want to marry him, sweetheart?"
I exhaled, feeling my life flash before my eyes. Dark's look told me one thing loud and clear: Say no, and you'll regret it. I rolled my eyes and forced a smile.
"Ye… yes, Mom," I muttered.
Her face lit up, and she pulled me into a tight hug. "Then we have a wedding to prepare… in three days."
"Three days?" I breathed, flabbergasted.
She nodded briskly. "Isn't that what you two agreed on? We can make it work. I'm sure of it."
Dark inclined his head smoothly. "Of course, Mrs. Grey. Thank you for your blessing."
My mother's eyes softened as she looked at him. "Thank you, Darien… for being… for being a beautiful man, inside and out."
Dark's smile was practiced, perfect. "Thank you, Mrs. Grey. I promise to take good care of her."
Her lips curved in a gentle smile. "Let me get you something to drink. You must be exhausted."
Before I could stop her, she was already moving toward the kitchen.
Dark inclined his head politely.
"Thank you."
The moment she disappeared down the hallway toward the kitchen—
Dark moved.
His hand shot out and grabbed my waist. I gasped as he pulled me hard against him.
"What are you doing?!" I hissed.
His grip tightened. And that was when I noticed something. His breathing. Heavy. Uneven. His body felt hot—far hotter than before.
I pulled back slightly.
"Dark…?"
Sweat glistened along his forehead. Something was very wrong.
"What's wrong with you?" I whispered.
He didn't answer. Instead his hand slid behind my neck and he crushed his mouth against mine. My eyes widened in shock. The kiss was sudden. Fierce.
I shoved at his chest.
"Are you insane?!" I whispered against his mouth. "My mom—"
He didn't stop. His arms tightened around me, holding me in place as his lips pressed harder against mine. My heart raced wildly. Fear. Confusion. And something else I refused to acknowledge.
I struggled harder.
"Dark—stop!"
Finally I tore myself free. My hand moved but before they could land on his cheek, his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. He didn't say anything and just stared at me. But now that I was looking at him clearly—
I froze.
His skin was damp with sweat. His breathing rough. Something beneath his shirt glowed faintly red. My stomach dropped. What was that?
"What the—" I grabbed his arm. "Come with me."
"I don't need—"
"Shut up."
I dragged him down the hallway and into my room before he could argue. The door slammed shut behind us. I locked it quickly. Then I turned back to him.
The red glow beneath his shirt was brighter now.
"What is that?" I whispered.
Without thinking, I grabbed the hem of his shirt. And started pulling it up. His hand caught my wrist instantly.
"Don't."
His voice was sharp.
I looked up at him. His eyes were dark with irritation.
"We will continue this another time," he said coldly. "I'm leaving."
"No."
His brow furrowed.
"No?" he repeated.
I stepped closer, staring at the glowing red light beneath the fabric over his chest.
"Does this have something to do with the Anchor?" I asked quietly.
He said nothing. My heart started pounding.
"Are you feeling the urge to merge with it?" I pressed.
Still silence. Then he pushed me back slightly.
"I don't need a weak human pretending she understands anything about me."
The words stung. But I ignored them. Instead, I stepped forward again. And wrapped my arms around him.
Dark froze. We stared at each other.
"Yes," I said quietly. "I am a weak human." My voice shook slightly. "But when I was in pain… you helped me."
His expression hardened.
"And if you're in discomfort because of the Anchor," I continued softly, "then I can return the favor."
I tightened my arms around him.
"Should I hug you?"
Silence.
"Should I… kiss you?"
His eyes darkened.
"Will that help?" I asked.
He stared at me for a long moment. Then he spoke slowly.
"Don't start something you cannot finish, little mortal."
His voice was low. Dangerous.
"You know nothing."
"I know enough," I replied.
I held him tighter.
"I hate you. Trust me, I do."
His brow lifted slightly.
"My life is a disaster because of you," I continued. "But unlike you, I'm human."
My voice softened.
"You told me the Anchor has to merge with you slowly."
His eyes narrowed.
"That's why you came up with this stupid marriage idea." I sighed. "And yes… I hated when you kept kissing me without asking."
My face warmed slightly.
"But it helped."
The room went quiet.
"So if we can help each other," I finished softly, "why not?"
I looked up at him.
"After all… I'll live longer once this is over. Right?"
He didn't answer. Just stared at me. For a long moment. Then slowly he pulled back.
"What is this, little mortal?" he asked quietly. "Trying to be cooperative?"
I shrugged.
"Yes."
His eyes darkened.
"You don't want it?" I asked.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"I am very selfish," he murmured. "I might take far more than what you're offering."
His voice dropped.
"Do you still want to help?"
For a moment I hesitated. But something deep inside my chest pulled toward him. Strange. Warm. I had a feeling this answer would come back to haunt me later.
"Yes," I said quietly. "We are technically business partners."
I lifted my chin slightly.
"So why don't we do this properly… Dark?"
His eyes flickered.
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
"It's not sudden," I said.
"My mother…" I sighed. "…she was so happy."
Dark grinned. Before I could react— He grabbed me.
And kissed me hard.
I gasped as he lifted me off the ground, my back hitting the wall as my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. His arms locked around me. Holding me tightly against him. The red light in his chest flared brighter. Much brighter.
Pulsing between us like a living heartbeat.