He tenses, like he’s holding himself back. “We have an audience.”
I move restlessly against him, nearly in his lap, mostly sheltered by him. “The guys aren’t looking, and the wizard is probably in a trance.”
“We can’t leave in case he decides to talk.”
“We don’t have to leave. We don’t have to undress. Just touch me. I need you.”
Griffin curses softly. His eyes searing, he straightens away from me. “I love you to the point of desperation, but it’s a mood, and it’ll pass.”
I reach for him again. “I’ll be quiet.”
He grabs my hand. “You’re never quiet.”
“I can try.”
He chuckles at that, but it turns into a husky, almost pained groan. Squeezing my hand, he exhales slowly. “You’ll be the death of me, Cat.”
And just like that, my blood freezes over. Lust crashes, leaving behind a tangle of foreboding and fear.
Griffin senses the change in me instantly. “It’s a figure of speech.”
I draw back. “And in our case, horribly fitting.”
He shakes his head. “Stop doing that. You’re not responsible for everything that happens around you. Whatever the Fates have in store for us is decided before we’re born. Whatever happens to me, to any of us, it willneverbe your fault.” He tilts my face up, forcing me to meet his now steely gaze. “And I have no intention of dying.”
“That’s what we all say. That doesn’t stop it from happening.”
“Eventually, yes. But for now, don’t add shadows to the dark.”
It’s hard to believe that just moments ago, I was so wild with desire I was ready to disregard our surroundings. I do like to put on a good show, but notthatkind of show. Now, there’s a chasm in my chest. “My sister died because of me.”
“Your sister diedforyou. It’s not the same.”
“And if you die for me, will that make it any easier? You’d do it. Don’t deny it. We both know it’s true.”
His mouth flattens, his jaw hardening until it seems carved from stone. “What worries me is your sacrificing yourself forme,agapi mou.”
I gape at him. “You can’t have one standard for yourself and another for me!”
“And you can’t keep living your life like everyone matters except for you!”
“That’s…”Damn, that’s a good argument.“I don’t want to die any more than you do. But I’ve been on borrowed time for years. Sometimes, I can’t believe I even made it this fa—”
“Stop. Don’t finish that thought.” Griffin’s eyes glint dangerously, reflecting the moon’s first rays. “If you won’t put yourself first for you, then do it for me. For our family.”
“We don’t have a family.”
“Wearea family!”
The vehemence in his voice slaps me so hard that I jerk. Tiny daggers start stabbing at the backs of my eyes, making them sting and water.
Griffin takes my face in his hands. His fingers press into my head. “I may not be holding you with a magic rope anymore, but I willneverlet you go, and I willneverleave you. I would defy creatures, and Gods, and terrible, brutal queens to keep you safe and by my side. I would move Mount Olympus itself to hold you in my arms and feel your heart beat against mine. You are my soul, andyes, I will fight for you and protect you until my dying breath.”
His vow stuns me into silence. I swallow hard as the force of it ignites the magic in my blood, proving its utter truth. A quiet sob rattles my chest. I gulp it down, but that effort goes to waste when Griffin pulls me into his lap and wraps his arms around me. All the knots inside me unravel, and a floodgate opens. It’s loud. And ugly.
His jaw brushes my temple. “I thought cats didn’t cry.”
I sniff. “They don’t.”Usually.
