Her eyes were brown.
Alex
Face pale and lips trembling, her brows puckered. Im so sorry. Aiden, I lo A scream tore from her, and she arched clear off the mattress, eyes widening.
My heart stopped. Alex?
I cant its everywhere. It hurts. Aiden, please make it stop please She slumped back, whimpering and twisting, thrashing her head back and forth.
With my heart in my throat, I started to let up, but then her eyes opened again and I wanted to rage. Golden eyes stared back into mine. Id almost had heralmost.
Alex went wild underneath me.
The erratic mix of emotions funneling inside me made it hard to wait this out. Hope crashed and burned into barb-tipped disappointment that eventually gave way to anger. Alex was in there and she was hurting. Five seconds of catching a glimpse of her and shed been sucked right back into Seth. I didnt know if I should be happy or sick to my soul.
Even with the lack of food and sleep, it still took a godsawful amount of time for her to tire herself out. She thrashed, screamed, kicked and even tried to bite me.
But finally, she grew weary and was panting. Does this make you happy? Hurting me like this? Make you feel all big and bad?
Im not hurting you. I opened my eyes, weary.
Youre killing me! She tried to rise up, but fell back. The damn girl was going to hurt herself.
Dear gods, Alex, can you stop fighting me for a damn second? She opened her mouth, but I placed my other hand over her lips. Dont say something smartass. You have no idea what kind of shitty night Ive had.
Her eyes narrowed.
I mean it. Not one smartass comment.
She grew very still, and I removed my hand. The tip of her tongue darted out, wetting her lips. I could tell she had something entirely infuriating to say but was holding back.
I need you to try again, Alex. Block him. Cut the cord, and Ill help you through it this time. I swear. Ill get you through it.
Alex stared at me for so long that I feared shed lost the ability to speak. You dont get it. I dont want to. I need him, Aiden. Not you. A half and a pure cant love each other. Just let me go.
Someone must have punched a hole right through my chest. The pain was that realjust as real as the pain Id witnessed moments ago.
Aiden, please make it stop .
I focused on that instead of what shed said. Alex was in pain when she fought him, and who knew if there were periods of
times when she was fighting him and we just didnt see. All I did know was that when shed been herselfher real selfshed asked me to make it stop, begged me. And there was only one way I could make it stop.
I knew right then, as much as it tore me apart, there was no other choice.
Leaning down, I placed a kiss against her damp temple and closed my eyes. A secondonly a secondpassed, and I soaked up her warmth and the moment of closeness without her fighting me. Then she jerked her head to the side and said something too horrible to really even acknowledge. Lifting myself off her, I rose to my feet and backed off, leaving the cell.
Alex remained on the mattress, not bothering to rush the door as I locked it. I stood there, watching her, knowing that what I was about to do had nothing to do with my duty to humanity or to my own kind. It really didnt have anything to do with Apollo and his warnings.
Aiden, please make it stop .
There was only one way I could make it stop.
CHAPTER 5
THE NEXT MORNING, APOLLO, MARCUS, AND I STOOD IN the small sunroom that overflowed with plants and flowers. The sweet tangy scent reminded me of Alex. Hell, everything reminded me of Alex.
She was right about one thing last night. I was obsessed.
Apollo cut to the chase. Have you agreed?
I glanced at Marcus, knowing that hed finally made up his mind sometime last night. So had I. Weary and bone-tired, I scrubbed my hand over my rough cheek. Man, I needed to shave.
Aiden, Marcus said.
Exhaling roughly, my eyes narrowed. They didnt know that Alex had snapped out of it for a few seconds last night. The tiny glimpse of her was something I held close to my heart, but in the harsh glare of the sunlight, I wasnt sure if it had really happened, or if it had been wishful thinking.
I cleared my suddenly dry throat. The words were hard to get my tongue to form. Give her the Elixir.
And that was itall it took.
What sounded like a series of champagne corks shattered the silence. The air was sucked out of the room as I spun toward the crackling sound. A shimmery blue dust formed in the rays of sunlight. Each particle shined like a sapphire. They came together quickly, as if drawn to become whole. Within seconds, a woman stood before us.
Swathed in blue silk robes that clung to her curves, the goddess tipped her golden head back. Long, thick curls fell to her waist as she drifted toward Apollo with a twitch in her hips.
Marcus sucked in a breath, obviously affected by the goddess beauty, and I felt nothing but chilled numbness as we both bowed.
There was something seriously wrong with me.
Or perhaps I was just too focused on what she held in her delicate-looking handsan ancient-looking porcelain pitcher engraved with a hateful symbol. A circle with a slash through itthe mark of servitude.