Gatlin is mine. Hera’s fierce countenance flashes in my mind. I’ll fight any god who tries to take him away.
15
GATLIN
Noise filters through the night air, and I jolt awake. Tense, I ease my hand toward the gun on the nightstand, but the sounds slowly crystalize into Jamison’s British tones. I glance down at Phaedra, her dark hair spilling across my chest, and carefully slip from the bed.
“I’ll be back,” I murmur.
She hums and stretches, then rolls onto her back and looks up at me. “I know…Are you good with this? With us?” Her finger points back and forth between us. Her bright blue eyes are full of apprehension and a slight guardedness I’ve come to expect from her. “We don’t have to tell them right away.”
“The fuck we don’t,” I snarl, unable to hold back the sting of her words. My voice reverberates in the small room, making me flinch. I take a deep breath and back it down a notch. “Sorry. We’re not hiding from anyone. Not the gods. Or my family. Do you want me to go outside and shout it from the porch? I will.”
Her laugh is soft, but the glassy look in her eyes tells me that it was the right answer. “Old habits. And you’re right. Let me grab a shower, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“I could shower with you,” I offer, wagging my eyebrows. My hand skims across her body, and a moan escapes from her pink lips. “Or we can say ‘fuck it’ and stay here.”
“Don’t tempt me,” she replies with a sigh. “But I want to see them and hear about their visit with Caron.” She slides out of bed and pads toward the bathroom. At the door, she looks back and winks, knowing I’m staring at her.
With a shake of my head, I slip into my room next door and grab a quick shower. Minutes later, I walk into the kitchen and stop in surprise. Mathias is leaning against the counter. His eyes dart past me to the doorway, then return.
“Mathias,” I greet him, walking over to sling an arm around him. “How the hell did you get away? I didn’t expect to see you for another couple of weeks at least.” Jamison snorts, and I glance his way. “What?”
“He’s supposed to be in London running errands for the vampires, but he couldn’t stay away,” Jamison says drily. His voice drops. “Apparently, the mate bond won’t let him go too long without seeing her.”
Mathias, clearly irritated, narrows his eyes at Jamison, then glances at me. “That’s not the only reason. Thought I’d share some intel.” Their eyebrows rise in disbelief. He sighs. “Where is she?”
“She’s taking a shower,” I inform them.
All three glance at my wet hair, and I can see the speculation on their faces. I dip my chin, silently acknowledging the change in our relationship, but don’t elaborate because there isn’t enough time. Explaining what happened in Greece is paramount.
“With one flick of her hand, Hera completely immobilized me. For the first time, I was powerless. Scared the fuck out of me. I thought I was going to have to watch her end Phaedra and not be able to do a damn thing about it. She might have if Athena hadn’t stepped in.”
Mathias curses in his native language, Hawthorne runs a hand down his face, and magic swirls around Jamison’s hands.
“I was already falling for her, but at that moment, everything became crystal clear for me,” I admit gruffly. “Then she went and claimed me. And I didn’t want to hold out for the rest of you to get your shit together.”
“She claimed you?” Mathias asks in a strangled voice.
“She did,” I confirm. “Look, I know we need to talk about us and how we’re going to move forward, but she’ll be down soon, and there is something more urgent. In that temple, it hit me. We have zero leverage. Not only do we not know what the gods have in store for Phaedra, but collectively, we don’t have enough power to stop them. And that’s a scary fucking thought. She’s too vulnerable. We need a backup plan.”
Surprisingly, Hawthorne is the one who nods first. “The war with the gods showed me how difficult it is to eliminate them. Damn near impossible. In order to protect her, we’ll need to stack the deck. How? I’m not sure, but I’ll do some research.”
“Good.” I hear the sound of her sneakers on the stairs. “Damn, she’s coming. Think about it, and we’ll regroup later.”
All three nod, but their attention and gazes move from me to the doorway. Silence descends. Tension fills the air. All three hold their breath. The second she enters; they collectively exhale, and their entire focus becomes her.
Phaedra’s hair is damp, and she’s wearing a bright smile, but it fades the second she sees Mathias. For several long seconds, she drinks him in, her eyes scanning him from head to toe as if she’s trying to reassure herself he’s okay.
“Mathias,” she says in a breathless voice. “How are you?”
Tension makes him rigid. I see his hand clench at his side, but she doesn’t. Not in anger. In need. He wants to touch her.
She tilts her head, her brow furrowing at his lack of response, and his face blanks as if he doesn’t want her to see how she affects him. Internally, I sigh.
“Good,” he finally says.
Phaedra sucks in a breath, and a look of resignation settles on her face. “I’m—” Her words halt when Mathias stalks out of the room. Her jaw tightens, and she stalks out the door after him. I hear the front door open. A minute later she returns.
