72 The Irony

Daryn hunted for the murderers that night. He went along with Neal to every lead his men gave, but there was no clue. In the end they came back home empty-handed. He tossed and turned in his sleep and the nightmares returned. "Dawn…" he would utter her name and wake up. 

In order to protect her from imminent danger, he beefed up the security of his office. He gave instructions to double the number of guards standing on the outside and inside the building. 

--- 

Dawn was having breakfast along with Cole and Azura. There was silence in the room with everyone in tension. 

"Dawn are you sure you want to go?" Azura asked. He was shifting in his chair, crossing and uncrossing his legs. 

Dawn nodded. "Yes, I want to go there for one last time." 

"But you know it isn't safe," Azura pointed out. 

"I don't think they would do anything to me in The Silver House. If they have to kill me then they will have to be out of that office building. So don't worry," she said with resolution in her eyes. 

Azura shook his head. He had thought of asking her to move into his house after she would have brought the information about the gaming company but what happened currently wasn't his plan. "Okay, in that case, I am going to drop you and pick you up and you have to promise that after today, you won't go there." 

Dawn looked at Cole and brushed his hair. Not being with Daryn was like shredding her soul. But she would live knowing that he was there breathing the same air as she was. She took a deep breath and said, "You need to drop and pick up Cole also." 

"I will," replied Azura in a breathy voice. 

The breakfast was over and the siblings got into Azura's car. There was a car behind them, which followed them as a security measure. Azura dropped Cole to the school first. Dawn said, "Cole, just don't go with anyone else other than Azura back to the house. Okay?" 

Cole nodded. He was thankful that Azura was there in their life and that he was protecting Dawn. He walked to his class. 

They reached her office in the next thirty minutes. Before Dawn got down, Azura held her hand and said, "Be very careful. Just don't come out of the office building and don't go near Daryn. Also if at all you feel that someone is after you, call me and my man will take you out safely." 

Dawn bit her lips. She patted Azura's hand and said, "Yes, don't worry." 

She got out of the car and as soon as did, she saw Daryn. He was watching her with anger, standing on the entrance. She lowered her head and walked past him inside the building. 

Dawn did not like his close vicinity. But what could she say? She stood there with her head held low. It was her last day in the office and she would leave this place quietly as soon as the work was done. Once everyone was out of the elevator, only the two of them were left until the thirtieth floor. Daryn immediately held her wrist, pulled her into his tight embrace. "I missed you," he whispered as he inhaled her smell.

Dawn didn't say a word. Yes, she missed him every second of the day. She savored him. But after confessing his love for her yesterday, he went ahead to kill the neotides. Why? She gulped down her saliva. She pulled herself away from him and stepped back. She looked straight in his eyes and said, "Mr. Daryn, you are going to get married in two weeks. This is not right. I am sorry but please don't do this with me again." While on the outside she was curt, her wolf was gnawing at her, it was scratching her skin, her heart and her mind from inside, trying to create a deep wound because it wanted to come out and be with his mate.

The elevator's door opened and she walked out. Daryn kept watching her with a blank mind. He had to clarify things to her. However, what could he say about his marriage? Unless it was official, he didn't want to promise her. He just wanted to be with her, with his mate. Was that so wrong? He walked behind her trying to put the puzzle pieces together in his mind. If she had come with Azura, then it meant that she wouldn't be leaving the job. But Azura must have definitely told her about the killings. And was she staying with him? "Damn it!" he muttered. That was one thing, which was not acceptable. When he saw that she had reached her cubicle, he turned to his office. 

Dawn reached her cube and sat down. As she switched on the computer, she dug her hand into her purse and took out the two pen drives. Then she took out one more thumb drive. From the pen stand, she picked three highlighters and marked them. She let the ink dry and then slid them in her pocket. She had decided not to leave her cubicle for the first half and work as usual. But in the afternoon she would simply do her job and get out of the building. She owed that to Azura for saving her life from the purebloods. Ever since she had come back, it was Azura who had helped her. She scoffed at the irony of her situation. Her mate was a pureblood, who was about to get married and the man who saved her was his nemesis. She shook her head with indignation and then looked at the computer. There were several emails regarding the project. She checked them one by one hoping for the time to speed up. The office was closing in on her. Every conversation seemed mechanical. The heaviness in the air was like dense and dark clouds that gobbled every existing speck of happiness. 

Daryn sent her messages to come and meet him, but she would simply read them without replying. The fact that she kept herself surrounded by so many employees made it difficult for him to approach her. He had cancelled all the meetings only to stay around her and yet she was distancing herself. He was angry and impatient in his office. He wasn't even able to focus on his work. He got up from his chair and looked at the skyline of the city and his gaze went to the mountains in the distance. If only he could hole up in his cottage on the peak with Dawn. 

His reverie broke when Neal called. 

--- 

Lunchtime came and everyone in the office prepared to go to the cafeteria. Dawn was one of the first ones to leave because she knew that Daryn would come out to look for her. She took the elevator straight to the tenth floor. When she entered the office, Laura greeted her excitedly, "Hi Dawn!"