Bound (22 page)

Max rubbed his left eye. Blond hair stuck out all over his head, and his pajamas hung off his slim frame, looking two sizes too big. But the Argonaut markings visible on his hands proved he’d soon grow into his lineage. And since he was Zander’s son, and a descendent of Achilles, he’d grow into it well. “I couldn’t sleep. I went to see Mom, but she’s not in bed. I thought maybe she was with Aunt Isadora, you know, because of the baby and stuff, but she isn’t in her room either.”

A shot of unease echoed through Demetrius. Theron turned toward Zander. “Go find out if everything’s okay. D?”

Demetrius looked over. “Yeah?”

“Go with him.”

His heart pounded hard in his chest. He should. But so much else hung on finding Titus. He knew Isadora wasn’t in danger—because of the soul mate connection, he’d feel it if she was. Right now, he’d be far more help to her by finding Titus than on dealing with what had happened between them earlier. “No. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

Liar
.

He pushed down the thought before it could run away from him and stepped toward the desk. Zander and Max left, and Orpheus moved up to the table. Demetrius tried to stay focused while Theron ran through what he and Zander had figured out while they’d been gone. Contacts on the west coast had reported a fire burning in the redwoods and an Amazon tribe completely decimated. Though there was no official confirmation, Theron obviously thought Titus and Natasa were somehow involved.

Footsteps echoed from the hall. Demetrius turned when Zander poked his head back under the doorway. And the anger that flashed in his blazing silver eyes put Demetrius on instant alert.

“What’s wrong?” Theron asked.

“Ask her.” Zander tugged Casey into the room behind him. Max shuffled in after them, eyes wide and, this time, very alert.

“All right, all right,” Casey said, jerking her arm from Zander’s grasp. “You don’t have to get so bent out of shape.”

“Acacia?” Theron’s eyes hardened. He stepped away from the desk and pinned Zander with a look. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Casey moved between her mate and Zander and placed a hand on Theron’s chest. “It’s okay. I’m fine. Don’t get mad at Zander. I expected you’d all find out sooner rather than later.”

Theron’s confused gaze snapped to her face. “Find out what? What’s going on?”

She pursed her lips and looked down at the floor.

“
Meli
?” Theron prodded.

“Okay. Promise not to get mad.”

Everything inside Demetrius went cold.

“Tell us what’s happened,” Theron said, trying for patience with his soul mate but not quite getting there.

“Well…” Casey wrung her hands together. “I couldn’t sleep. And I had this feeling that Isadora couldn’t either. So…I went to see her.”

Panic spread through Demetrius. “Where is Isadora?”

Casey’s worried gaze skipped from one face to another, then finally settled on Demetrius. “At the colony. With Callia. We pooled our gifts to find Titus. He’s there. With Natasa. Isadora went to talk to them and find out what’s going on. And…”

His heart nearly stopped. She’d gone to the human realm. Without him. Without any kind of security. To face someone who could quite possibly be working with Hades. The god who still held a contract on her soul.

The darkness inside that Demetrius fought to keep down bubbled to the surface. His voice turned to ice in his throat. “And what?”

Casey sighed. “And to see Nick. “

* * *

Nick scrubbed a hand over the prickly hair on the top of his head. He needed to shave his damn scalp again. Thing grew like a weed. “Okay, let’s seal off that tunnel. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt in there.”

Kellen rolled up the map detailing the tunnels beneath the colony. “Will do.”

He turned away from Nick, signaled to the other men he’d brought with him, and headed for the far end of the cavern. Lantern light shimmered off rock walls and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Water dripped somewhere close, and a chill spread straight down Nick’s spine as he watched them go. From the castle entrance, numerous tunnels fanned out under the high mountain lake. They were meant to disorient any who ventured too close to the colony. But they weren’t all stable, and this was the second tunnel collapse they’d had in the last month. Thankfully, this time, only a sentry running patrol had been caught in the falling debris, and his injuries were minor. Next time, they might not be so lucky.

“I expected you to hide from me. I didn’t expect it to be way down here.”

Nick’s stomach lurched into his throat when he recognized the voice. Slowly, he turned and looked toward the silhouette behind him. And the female he’d been dreaming about and cursing this whole last day.

Isadora perched her fisted hands on her hips. She wore loose gray pants and a tight –fitting black shirt that accentuated her breasts and the swell of her belly. But even in the dim light he could see the glow of her blonde hair, the tilt of her jaw, and the fire in her eyes that he both hated and admired. “What are you doing here?”

“You have one of my Argonauts. I want to see him.”

She’d come because of Titus. Not because of him. He should have expected as much and yet…disappointment dropped like a stone weight into his belly. He shifted his feet on the uneven rock floor and hooked a thumb through his belt loop. “Can’t keep track of your heroes, huh? As I recall, you lost the last one as well. Effective leadership there, princess.”

“And I see being an asshole runs in the family. Where’s Titus?”

She must have had an argument with his brother. Demetrius never would have let her come here alone. A small thrill rushed through him. “Ask me nice and maybe I’ll tell you.”

Her eyes flared, and she stepped forward. “I’m done playing nice with you, Nick. Some things are more important than your petty problems.”

He leaned close. So close he could smell her sweet scent. “You’re my problem, princess. You always have been.”

Her eyes softened, just a touch. Just enough to tell him she pitied him. “I know. And I’m sorry. But you’re going to have to suck it up and deal with it, just like I am. Your people are in trouble, Nick. Big trouble.”

His people. He was sick and tired of
his
people. Of serving them. Of leading them. Of making all the tough decisions like what the hell to do with the damn tunnel that had caved in. What he wanted was to let someone else deal with the shit. And to take what was standing right in front of him.

“Regardless of how pissed I am over what you did,” she went on, “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I care about you. You’re family.”

Family. As in, the blacklisted, good-for-nothing brother-in-law. Not the man she loved.

And yet…she was here. Of her own free will. On his turf. Maybe he could still convince her this was where she was supposed to be.

He reached for her elbow, closed his fingers over the delicate bones, and tugged. Anger and arousal swirled in his stomach and fired through each of his veins. A tiny voice in his head screamed
don’t do this again
, but he ignored it. Just as he had the last time. “Why don’t you show me just how much you care, princess?”

A tiny gasp escaped her lips. Her body brushed against his, the swell of her belly preventing him from feeling all of her like he wanted. He tipped his head and leaned down to kiss her.

Her fist met his stomach. And the force of the blow doubled him over with a grunt.

“I told you not to touch me like that again.” Isadora’s angry voice met his ears. “I wasn’t kidding.”

Nick wrapped a hand around his middle, rubbing at the sore spot. He was more shocked than hurt. But for a girl—for a pregnant girl—she hit pretty hard. Demetrius had obviously taught her something. “You came to me, princess. Don’t forget that.”

“Trust me. I won’t. And I won’t be so quick to do so again.”

“You will. You and drama seem to go hand in hand. I think you like stirring the shit. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the whole reason you’re here now. Not to warn me about any so-called trouble, but because you just can’t stand not being the center of attention.”

Her face paled. “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

He huffed and pushed aside the guilt that tried to creep in. “No, terrible is you throwing yourself at me, then playing hard to get. Tell me, does your shitty husband know you’re such a cock tease?”

Footsteps pounded the rock floor, and before Nick could look past Isadora to see where they were coming from, a fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him off his feet.

Isadora shrieked. Nick stumbled backward and knocked into a stalagmite. Rock and debris broke loose from the tip, crumbling to the cave floor at his feet. Hands grasped the front of his shirt and hauled him around, slamming him against the cave wall.

“Demetrius! Stop!”

“You son of a bitch,” Demetrius growled, ignoring Isadora. “I was going to give her to you, you bastard. But not now.”

A gasp echoed through the cave, but all Nick could focus on was his brother’s enraged eyes. They were roughly the same weight, but Demetrius had him by at least an inch, though at the moment, Nick didn’t give a fuck. The coppery tang of blood slid across his tongue. And with that darkness roaring in his veins, urging him on, one corner of his mouth twisted in a sneer.

This was better than kissing Isadora. Or tormenting her. This was the bloodletting he’d been hoping for for months.

“Even you don’t want her?” Nick grunted. “Yeah, she’s turned out to be a real catch, hasn’t she?”

Demetrius’s grip tightened on Nick’s shirt. And he leaned so close, Nick could feel the darkness radiating from him too. “Give me one reason not to beat the fucking life out of you.”

Footsteps pounded close, and voices echoed through the tunnels. Kellen and the others who’d been checking out the cave-in tore into the room. Nick waved them off. “Don’t touch him. He’s mine.” Then to Demetrius, “You think you can take me? Try it.”

“Oh for gods’ sake.” Isadora’s voice bounced off rock and echoed in the air. “You’re both complete morons if you think this is helping. Kill each other for all I care. I’ve had it. You”—she tipped her chin toward Nick—“with your
I don’t give a shit
attitude, and you”—she turned her fiery gaze upon Demetrius—“thinking you
own
me? No one
gives
me away.“ She threw up her hands. “I’m done. I’m done with both of you.”

She turned for the tunnel that led back to the lowest level of the castle. For the first time, Nick realized Isadora’s sister, Callia, was standing near the door to the entrance of the colony. “Come on. Let’s go find Titus before it’s too late.”

“He’s upstairs, in one of the suites.”

“Thank the Fates we don’t have to go searching for him,” Isadora muttered. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get the hell out of here. I’m suddenly sick of the view.”

Footsteps echoed and slowly faded. Silence descended, settling in the tense air. The only sound was the thump of Nick’s heartbeat roaring in his ears. He waited, expecting Demetrius to haul off and plow his fist into his jaw again, but the blow never came. Instead, Demetrius let go and stepped back. Then his face paled, and worry crept into his dark, usually guarded eyes.

“
Skata
.” Demetrius scrubbed a hand through his hair.

And standing there, watching, Nick had a memory flash. Of the way his brother had looked strung up in the Council’s chamber after Demetrius and Isadora had come back from that island. How lost he’d looked then. How Isadora had been the only one to believe in him. How she’d convinced her father to abdicate the throne to her, stepped in, told the Council to go to hell and stopped his execution.

What they had was stronger than the soul mate bond. It was the kind of connection that defined you, that made you who you were. The one thing in the world you’d sacrifice, knowing you’d never be whole again, all to keep the other safe.

“You love her.”

Demetrius sucked in a breath.

“No,” Nick clarified. “I mean, you
really
love her.”

“Don’t fucking mock me.”

Nick wasn’t. At least, he wasn’t trying to. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He didn’t care that his men could still be listening. That the private life he worked so hard to keep private from those he protected was slowly drifting away. He’d known Isadora felt something for his brother, but all this time he’d assumed it was the soul mate bond keeping them together. He’d thought that his own bond to her was just as strong. Now…

Now he knew it wasn’t even close. He may want Isadora. He may never be able to stop the soul mate draw to her. But she didn’t love him. And she never would.

“Go to her.”

Demetrius closed his eyes. “She doesn’t want me, you idiot. Didn’t you hear her?”

“Yeah, she does.” Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. “She’s just pissed, and with good reason. You were a dick.”

“Now you’re telling me to stay with her?
Skata
, you’re the one who said she’d be safer here with you.”

“I’m an asshole. What the hell do I know?” When Demetrius rubbed a hand over his eyes, Nick found himself with a choice. To go after what he wanted, or to do what was right. And shit, though he wanted nothing more than to be a selfish prick, something inside wouldn’t let him.

“She loves you, you moron. Even I can see that. Are you really dumb enough to let her get away?”

Demetrius stared at the cave wall. Defeat rippled across his features. “You’re right about the Council. They’ll move on her as soon as they think they can.”

“So don’t let them. You’ve got the Argonauts on your side. Use them. If you and those girly men you hang around with can protect a whole realm, you can figure out a way to protect her.”

Demetrius turned to look at him. “Why the change of heart? We both know you want her too.”

Nick’s skin prickled. He could lie, or…he could be honest with…himself. “I thought there was a chance she might one day…want…to be with me. But I can see now that’s never going to happen, thanks to you.”

Darkness filled Demetrius’s eyes. “She deserves better.”