Bound

Chapter Sixteen

Ogygia was not what Natasa had expected.

Sweat slicked her skin as she stopped in the shade of a palm and lifted the shirt away from her breasts, fanning her overheated flesh. Sunlight beat down from above. Warm earth radiated heat from below.

Of all her luck, to land somewhere sweltering when she was already battling this bloody fever.

“You okay?”

Natasa dropped her shirt, working for indifference when she faced Titus. She didn’t want him worrying about her, not when he’d just risked everything for her. And she was still stressing over that fact. Was he not thinking clearly around her? How would he be reacting to her if she didn’t have this damn element inside? “Fine. You?”

Sweat slicked his skin too, but unlike her, the heat made him look sexy and desirable. Not weak and pathetic. He’d taken off his shirt and tucked it in the back pocket of his pants. A thin sheen coated his rock-solid chest. His wavy hair was tied back, two day’s worth of dark stubble shadowing his strong jaw. Warmth reignited in her belly when she remembered tracing the line of that jaw with her lips…with her tongue…

He stepped in front of her and placed his palm against her forehead. Deep lines formed around his eyes and mouth. Before she could push his hand away and reassure him she was okay, he reached for the hem of her shirt and dragged it up. “You’re too warm. You need to take this off.”

She swatted at his hand. “Titus. No. Someone could see me.”

He chuckled and easily pulled the garment over her head. “Who’s gonna see you other than me? Besides, I like looking at your breasts, ligos Vesuvius.”

She frowned, feeling totally vulnerable in nothing but her bra and jeans, but he was right. The air rushing over her bare skin felt a thousand times better than under that shirt.

He knelt in front of her and pulled a dagger from a sheath at his hip. “Don’t move. I don’t want to cut you.”

“Whoa. Wait. What—?”

He grasped a handful of denim at her thigh and pulled the fabric away from her leg. Using the tip of the dagger, he pierced the fabric to create a hole, then set the weapon on the ground, grabbed her pant leg, and ripped it free of her leg.

Okay, that was like the sexiest thing he’d ever done. Wait, no…what he’d done to her in that room at the colony with his mouth…with his body…that was the sexiest, but this was damn close. She didn’t want to admit danger turned her on, but him kneeling in front of her, shredding her pants with a dagger…? Total turn-on.

The fever was seriously baking her brain.

She rested her hands on his shoulders and tried to stay still while he repeated the process with her other pant leg. When he was done, she was left in nothing but boots, cut-off shorts, and her bra, and all but panting.

“This looks better.” He pressed a gentle kiss against the scab on her leg, then rose to his feet. “Cooler?”

Hell, yes. But she frowned for effect. “They’re a little short, don’t you think?”

He glanced down her body and smiled with what she could only define as appreciation. Then he leaned around her side, slid his hand up the back of her bare thigh until he gripped one cheek, and squeezed. “Not too short for me.”

Cool tingles spread along her ass, up her spine. Desire pooled in her belly, tightening her sex. She couldn’t stop herself. She rose up on her toes and pressed her hands against his hard, slick chest to keep from falling over. One touch and she was putty in his hands.

Just fuck me. Right here. That’d cool her down for sure. She still didn’t understand how, but simply touching him was more relief than stripping naked could ever be.

He grinned that devilish, sexy-as-sin smile and grasped her hand, pulling her along behind him. “Come on. Lots more land to check before sundown.”

Disappointment rippled through her body, but she tamped it down and told herself no matter how much she wanted him right now, she wasn’t going to use him like that. The Argonauts used him to read minds, to tell them what others were thinking or feeling. She didn’t want him to ever think she wanted him only for what he could do for her. Because it wasn’t true.

“What happens at sundown?” She stepped over a downed log, wishing they were back on the beach so she could dunk herself in the ocean one more time. Or ten.

“We find a quiet, sheltered place for the night where I can ravish you.”

Her whole body tightened. She hadn’t realized her feet had stopped until he chuckled and stepped in front of her again. “Like that idea?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

He cupped one hand around her jaw, leaned down, and brushed his lips over hers. And those tingling, cool, refreshing sensations shot through her whole body from that one spot, easing the fever just enough, bringing her focus back to what was important.

Him. Keeping him safe. Finding this nymph so they could locate her father. And getting rid of this fire inside her.

When he eased back, his eyes were so fathomless she was sure she could see eternity if she looked hard enough. This had to be the real him. Not the reserved, carefully calculating guardian Theron had described. “Titus…”

He brushed his thumb along her jaw. “Yeah?”

“I should have told you.”

“About the element?”

She shook her head. “About the fire.”

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, but—”

He cupped her face in both hands. “Do you know why you need me, Tasa?”

Because you’re sexy as hell. Because you protect me. Because you’re the only one who cares. “I—”

“Because I can cool that fire inside you.”

He smiled and brushed a lock of hair away from her forehead. “I love when you’re confused. You get this gorgeous little line, right here.”

He ran his finger between her brows, and she frowned. “I don’t—”

“Understand? I didn’t either. Not until I held the Orb. You know how you said you didn’t know why you’d been freed from Zeus’s prison? It’s because Zeus trapped you in the air element. He figured you’d be safe there since he had possession of it. What he didn’t know was that Orpheus was going to steal it and hide it for thousands of years.”

“Orpheus?”

“One of the Argonauts. He’s really Perseus’s son reincarnated, but that’s a whole other story. What’s important is that when O remembered where he’d hidden the air element in his former life, found it again, and placed it in the Orb, that freed you from your prison. He found the air element six months ago.”

Six months ago… That was about the time she’d awoken. Natasa focused on a branch behind him. Stunned and…well, enlightened. “That’s why so much time passed.”

“And why you don’t remember any of it. Thanks to Orpheus, you lucked out. Zeus would have used you long ago if you hadn’t been hidden.”

And she never would have met Titus.

Her gaze found his again. “That’s some knowledge you’ve come into.”

He grinned. “There’s more.”

“More?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know more.

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Her temperature ticked down pressed up against him like this, and she felt herself growing weak in the knees, just like every other time he touched her. “I cool you not because you’re my soul mate, but because of Calypso.”

She rested her hands on his forearms, loving the feel of him against her but overwhelmed at the same time. “You’re throwing things out at me really fast. Soul mate?”

He chuckled, leaned close, and kissed her ear. His sweet, refreshing breath ran down her neck, and felt so damn good. “We’ll get to that later. When my forefather, Odysseus, was stranded on this island by Calypso, he bathed in a special pool. One drawn from the water element. Traces of that passed to his descendants. To me. I’m the water to your fire, ligos Vesuvius.”

Her brow furrowed deeper. He looked so smug and proud of himself. What he was saying was crazy, and yet, in some insane way, it made sense. “You’re saying the water element’s here on this island?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Then why aren’t you looking for it? Your Argonauts—”

“Because I don’t care about the elements. I only care about you.”

Her mouth dried up, and love—a love she’d never expected to find—filled the space inside her chest. This had to be the real him. “Oh, Titus.”

He kissed her again. His lips were cool and soft, his tongue wet and so damn tempting sliding along hers. Coaxing a groan from her chest. Making her ache. Making her need.

He smiled that wicked grin. “I am going to have my way with you later. But first I want you sweating. And panting. And so damn hot you’re begging for me to cool you from the inside out.”

She already was.

A shiver raced down her spine. One born of anticipation and excitement. Fantasies about what he’d do to her ricocheted through her mind as he let go of her, as he tugged on her hand and pulled her after him. But they quickly shifted to doubt and worry when she realized she needed to tell him the rest. Needed to tell him about the deal she’d made so she could search for her father these last few months. But she was afraid. Afraid of what he’d say and do when he learned the whole truth. Afraid of losing him because of a stupid mistake she now couldn’t change.

Her heart raced. She stepped around a tree and tried to steady her quaking voice. “So what is this soul mate thing you and Zander both mentioned?”

“It’s a curse. From Hera. She had a major grudge against Heracles, and when Zeus created the Argonauts and the realm of the heroes, she was doubly pissed. So she cursed him, and all the Argonauts’ descendants, with having only one soul mate. The one person he wants most in the world, but who is the worst possible match for him.”

He smiled again, a dazzling grin that supercharged her blood. “But in our case she screwed up, because I’m water to your fire, baby.”

His perfect other half… Her entire body lit up with understanding. No wonder he was so drawn to her. Not just because of the elements, but because of a deeper, more sinister reason.

Yeah, water could extinguish a flame, but if the fire was too strong, if there wasn’t enough water to douse it, it would turn that water to steam and continue pillaging the land.

She knew too much about destiny. It wasn’t something you could change. She was destined to free her father…and with Titus’s help, now she had a chance. But this curse of Hera’s…this horrible destiny the goddess had bestowed on each of the Argonauts…guaranteed they wouldn’t wind up together.

The hope and excitement she’d held on to moments before withered and died. All she could do now was pray that she found her father before it was too late.

And that the fire inside her didn’t destroy Titus before that happened.

Nick rolled his shoulder and stepped over a downed log.

The terrain was steep, his breaths heavy. Sweat slicked his skin, but he didn’t care. Every step away from the colony was one step closer to freedom. He was done doing for others. Done being the one everyone turned to. Done—

Pain ripped through his chest. He gasped in a breath, reached out for the trunk of a nearby tree, and came to a stop, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened to him.

Nausea rolled through his stomach, and another burst of searing pain shot beneath his ribs.

Isadora.

His heartbeat picked up speed and adrenaline surged through his system. Something was wrong with her. The soul mate bond was screaming that she was in trouble.

His body moved before his mind clicked into gear. He whipped around and pushed his feet forward, picking his way down the hill, jumping over downed logs and around saplings and brush. He had to get to her. He had to help her. He had to—

The scars on his back tingled. And the air around him went from early-summer cool to bone-chilling frigid. His boots skidded to a stop.

Daemons. Leftovers from his mother’s ragged army.

His adrenaline surged. The guns strapped to his hips were no use against their tough skin. He reached for the blade he kept strapped to his back just as the first beast emerged from the trees.

At least seven feet tall, with the face of a cat, the ears of a dog, and horns like something straight out of hell, the beast was a gruesome mix of ugly. The only sign he’d once been human was his body. Tall, lean, muscular, dressed in fighting gear and wearing a long trench coat that hid a multitude of weapons. But this monster was not human. Not anymore. And it was here for blood.

The daemon sniffed the air. Bloodred eyes settled on Nick and flared to life. “Half breed.”

Three more daemons emerged from the trees at the monster’s back. The first motioned them forward with a snarled twist of his gruesome lips. “We’ve found lunch, boys.”

Two stepped forward. The third remained motionless, narrowed eyes blazing. “We’re under orders from Hades.”

Nick gripped his blade in both hands. They were working for the King of the Underworld now? Fucking fantastic.

“Screw Hades,” the one in front said. “I’m hungry.”

“He was clear,” the other answered. “Only the colony.”

Everything inside Nick went still. Hades knew the location of the colony. Their cover was blown. His people…

Isadora…

The darkness he kept locked inside surged and exploded. A red rage colored his vision. He roared and charged, swinging his blade. Metal sliced into flesh, cracking against bone. Howls echoed through the trees. Nick ducked, whipped around, avoided claws and jagged teeth. The first daemon hit the ground with a grunt. In a fury of movement, Nick stabbed his sword through the heart of the daemon on his right, yanked it free, spun and decapitated the other in one clean move.

One look and he realized the fourth—the one who’d hesitated at the back—was gone. All that remained was a bloody mess of cloth and bone.

Daemons weren’t truly dead until their heads were separated from their bodies. Chest heaving, Nick lifted his blade and decapitated the other two, then pushed his legs into a sprint and headed for the ridgeline.

He reached the top and looked down into the valley below. His heart dropped like dead weight into his stomach.

A battle raged on the banks of the glacial lake. Daemons and satyrs, Argonauts and half-breed soldiers in a duel to the death. In his peoples’ greatest hour of need, he’d abandoned them.

His gaze shot across the shimmering water, to the island that held the castle, invisible to the naked eye. The therillium ore was still masking its location. Hades hadn’t discovered it yet. There was still time.

He grasped a boulder, took a step around it, intent on heading down to join the battle. Another shot of blistering pain ripped through his chest, bringing every cell in his body to a halt.

His gaze shot back to the rocky island in the middle of the lake.

The battle would have to wait.

“Breathe, Isadora. Steady. That’s it. Good. Stay focused.”

Demetrius tried to listen to what Callia was telling Isadora but couldn’t catch his own damn breath. Panic tightened his chest and forced every bit of air out of his lungs.

Propped up in a bed in the medical clinic, Isadora squeezed his hand. She blew out a short breath, then managed a weak smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

There she was. His rock. Reassuring him when she was the one in danger.

He looked to Callia, on the other side of the bed. “We need to take her home.”

“No,” Callia said calmly, encouraging Isadora through another contraction. She glanced at the readout on the heart-rate monitor strapped to Isadora’s belly. “It’s too late for that. She’s having this baby right here.”

Demetrius ground his teeth but kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t want Isadora stressing, but he didn’t like her being here. Not when daemons and satyrs and, fuck, Hades were on the other side of the lake. He should be out there with the other Argonauts and Skyla right now, battling back the beasts, making sure they couldn’t get to her, but he couldn’t leave her side. The soul mate bond would barely even let him leave the room.

Isadora blew out another breath. “Don’t…talk about me…like I’m not here.”

“We wouldn’t dream of it.” Callia chuckled. “There, that one’s over. Not so bad, right?”

Isadora swiped at the sweat on her brow. Her shoulders shrank, and now that the contraction had passed, she looked pale and exhausted. And ten times too small for the bed she was lying in. “Whoever said this was a beautiful experience obviously never went through labor.”

Callia smiled, but it was forced. Footsteps echoed, and she looked toward the door, but Demetrius was too focused on his mate to care who showed up. Isadora’s eyes had fallen closed, her head resting back against the pillow. Between contractions, it was if her entire body relaxed, gathering strength for the next attack. His stomach twisted with fear and sickness. He’d never felt so helpless. There was nothing he could do to ease her pain, nothing he could do to speed things up. And when he remembered all that blood…

He swallowed hard and squeezed her hand tighter in his. He wasn’t going to lose her. How could he have ever thought he could walk away from her?

“I heard there was a party happening here.”

Isadora’s lashes lifted, and when she caught sight of her other sister, Casey, she smiled. “I didn’t know if you’d come.”

Casey moved into the room. Demetrius tugged his chair down the bed to make room for her but didn’t let go of Isadora’s hand. Casey stopped near the head of Isadora’s bed and brushed a damp lock of hair from Isadora’s brow. “Nothing could keep me away.”

“Does Theron know you’re here?”

She scrunched her nose. “Probably best not to tell him.”

“The colonists?”

“All in Argolea. Max and Maelea are helping the castle staff get everyone situated until we know what’s happening. That Max… He’s got some talent in the delegation department.”

Isadora managed a weak smile. “Royal genes.”

“Must be. Don’t worry, Isa. Everyone’s safe.”

Isadora blew out a breath of relief. Her eyes slid closed. “Thank gods.”

Awe rippled through Demetrius. Even now, she was worrying over others. Her father would never have cared what happened to the half-breeds. Demetrius’s mate—his queen—was the most compassionate person he’d ever known.

“Zander?” Callia called. “Can you keep Isadora company for a minute? I need Casey and Demetrius to help me gather supplies.”

“Sure, thea.” Zander moved away from the window he’d been staring out and stepped toward the bed. Like Demetrius, the soul mate bond wouldn’t allow Zander to leave Callia either.

Isadora’s eyes shot open, and worry rippled across her face. “What’s wrong?”

Callia smoothed a hand over Isadora’s brow. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. Rest for a minute. We’ll be right back.”

Reluctantly, Demetrius let go of Isadora’s hand, kissed her brow, and whispered, “I’m right outside if you need me.” But he didn’t miss the look that shot between Callia and Zander. The one that said she was lying.

In the hall, Callia’s features turned serious. “Okay, here’s the situation. The placenta is partially lying across her cervix, which is why she’s bleeding. She’s already too unstable to cross the portal, so we’re not going anywhere until that baby’s out. Lena’s already prepping the operating room.”

Lena, the half-breed healer, had stayed to help. But that didn’t ease Demetrius’s fear. Surgery. Gods, please…

“How long?” Casey asked.

“Fifteen minutes, max. I think the sooner we get this done, the better. Isadora’s strong, but the blood loss is weakening her faster than I’d like.”

And weakening them. Demetrius looked from one sister to the other. He hadn’t noticed until right now, but both sisters were pale too. All three were physically connected. What one experienced, the others felt. “You can’t operate on her.”

“I won’t be,” Callia answered. “Lena will take the lead. I’m only assisting. She’s done this hundreds of times, Demetrius, so don’t worry. I have complete faith everything will go smoothly, but you need to know things will happen quickly.” She looked between them. “This is not what Isadora was planning for a delivery, so I need you both to be her moral support.”

Moral support. He could do that. For her, he would do anything. Just don’t take her from me…

“And Zander?” Casey asked.

Callia looked her sister’s way, and in her eyes Demetrius saw the first hint of fear. “I told him he needed to join the other Argonauts outside, but he won’t go.”

Because he was scared too, Demetrius realized. He wasn’t about to leave his mate with danger so close. The only reason Theron wasn’t here guarding Casey was because he didn’t know she’d crossed to the human realm.

Callia gestured for them to head back to the room. Inside, Demetrius immediately moved to the bed. Isadora was panting through another contraction, gripping Zander’s hand until it turned white. Zander stared at the screen next to her, beeping and flashing with numbers. “Um…thea…”

Demetrius reached for her other hand. She pushed up to sitting and wrapped her fingers around his so tightly, pain shot straight up his arm.

Callia crossed the floor quickly, looked from the machine to Isadora, then nudged her mate out of the way. Holding her hands over Isadora’s belly, she closed her eyes, using her healer senses to check on the baby.

Her eyes popped open. She turned toward Zander. “We need to move to the OR now. Go get Lena.”

Zander rushed out of the room. Isadora’s eyes flew wide. “Wh-what?”

“Honey,” Callia said calmly, unhooking wires from the bed, “the baby’s heart-rate is dropping. We need to get him out now.”

“Oh, gods….”

“Casey?” Callia called. “A little help here?”

Fear pummeled Demetrius from every side. But he had to stay strong for her. He turned Isadora’s face toward his. “Look at me. I’m not leaving. I’m right here with you.”

She panted through the contraction, but her gaze never left his. And though he knew she was scared, strength—a strength she’d always had deep inside her—shone in her eyes. A strength he felt all the way to the bottom of his soul.

“I love you,” he whispered. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

She reached for his hand, placed it on her swollen belly, and covered it with her own. Through labored breaths, she said, “Promise…if anything goes wrong…you’ll love this baby…the same way.”

His heart squeezed tight. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. Don’t take her from me… “Everything will be okay, kardia.”

“Promise…me.”

Please, Dimiourgos…

“I promise.”

Her breathing slowed. The contraction eased. Drawing in a last steadying breath, she looked deep into his eyes and brushed her fingers over his jaw. “I love you, too. Just you. No matter what happens, Demetrius, you are my heart.”

His chest felt as if it grew ten times its normal size. But before he could kiss her, before he could tell her the same, Callia announced, “Okay, you two. I hate to break this up, but we have a baby to deliver.”

Eyes damp, he eased away from the bed. Reluctantly, he let go of Isadora’s hand. With a grunt, Callia pushed the bed forward. Casey helped her guide it toward the door.

Where Nick stood, covered in dirt and blood from the fighting, blocking their path.