Up close, he was even more overwhelming… more incredible. The green of his eyes burned brighter now, their intensity stripping me bare in an instant. I was acutely aware of his warm hand against my skin. For the briefest moment, his flesh shimmered. It wasn’t a transformation, but a ripple beneath the surface, as if something within him wanted to press closer. Like a living stone pushing through enough for me to feel its coldness beneath his grip. Then it was gone again, warmth returning as if nothing had happened at all.
A shudder ran through me.
His mouth curved faintly, amusement flickering in his eyes as he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for me.
“Fear not,” he murmured. “My gaze will not turn you to stone…” He paused, letting the words settle, and my pulse spiked.“…Not yet anyway.”
My breath left me in a shaky exhale as he straightened, releasing my chin, only to extend his hand toward me, palm open in a gesture that was both an offer and a command.
I hesitated for half a heartbeat before placing my hand in his.
He pulled me smoothly to my feet, his strength effortless, and as I rose, the hem of my skirt shifted just enough to reveal the battered army boots beneath. I felt the moment his gaze dropped, taking them in with clear interest, and my cheeks burned as I hurriedly adjusted the fabric, trying and failing to hide them from view.
A low sound escaped him, something between a huff of laughter and a sigh of approval.
“I see you are ready for anything,” he said.
Before I could respond, he began to circle me, and I stood rigid, every nerve screaming as he moved behind me, then to my side, the awareness of him like a predator assessing prey. Whenhe stopped in front of me again, he lifted my chin once more, forcing my gaze back to his, his eyes holding mine.
“What is your name?” he asked.
My throat felt tight as I swallowed, my voice faltering despite my effort to steady it.
“Alex,” I managed. “My name is Alexandra.”
Something shifted in his expression then, as if the answer pleased him. Only then did he speak again, finally painting himself as something more than just the Gorgon King.
“Theron,” he said calmly.
“Theron of House Chrysaor.”
Theron of House Chrysaor.
The name settled into the space between us like a declaration, heavy with history and power, and as his gaze remained locked on mine, I knew with absolute certainty that I stood before the sovereign of this land. A king born of stone and blood and something far older than fear itself. Now, where exactly these thoughts had come from, I didn’t know. It was almost as if, just by being in this place, the history was whispered to your soul.
The man who owned it all held my gaze a moment longer before motioning with his hand toward his men, ordering them, “Bring in our other guest.”
My eyes widened, and my head snapped around the second the doors opened.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber, and then Aster was there, storming forward without hesitation. His presence cut through the cold stillness of the hall like a blade. He was unbound, unrestrained, his massive form fully revealed in his minotaur shape. His horns curving proudly from his skull, muscles coiled tight with barely leashed fury. The soldiers did not move to stop him. They did not even flinch.
That alone told me everything I needed to know about how little concern Theron had for any threat Aster might pose within his domain.
Aster reached me in seconds, one large hand lifting my face gently but with urgency, forcing my gaze up to his.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded, his voice low and rough with fear, he was making no effort to hide. Yet before I could answer, before I could even draw a breath, Theron’s voice cut smoothly through the moment.
“How touching.”
The words carried easily across the chamber, and Aster stiffened, his jaw tightening as he slowly turned toward the throne.
“Trust me, young bull, I have shown great restraint until now,” Theron continued, settling back against the throne with infuriating ease. “I have had no reason to harm the girl, despite the fact that you were both discovered trespassing in my lands.”
Aster’s teeth ground together audibly.
“But then again,” Theron went on, his gaze sharpening, “This is not the first time, is it, Aster of the house of Voudouris?”
