Titus nodded once and Zander had the distinct impression he was being babysat.
Which rankled. Big-time. That fury bubbled and swirled.
“I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Lena stopped with one hand on the door. “Just don’t be surprised if it’s not what you expected.”
Rankled? Shit, forget Titus. The healer knew how to irritate the fuck out of a person. He needed to get the hell out of here, like now, before he blew his lid.
Zander pushed to his feet.
“Hold up, old man.”
Titus ambled toward him, shifting the toothpick to the other side of his mouth and shoving his big hands into his pockets. His shoulders remained relaxed, but the intensity in his eyes was a big ol’ red flag that he had something on his mind.
I don’t have fucking time for this.
“Well, make time,” Titus muttered.
Zander heaved a sigh, because even in his mood he knew taking Titus on right now had bad news tattooed all over it. “What?”
“The healer had a point.”
Zander shot his kinsman a bored look.
“Callia has a right to be here.”
Not a fucking chance. “It’s too dangerous.”
Zander didn’t make it a foot away before Titus stepped in his path. “Too dangerous for whom? Her or you?”
Zander narrowed his eyes. “What the hell are you getting at?”
“I’m just saying. It should be her decision, Z, not yours. To hell with how it affects you.”
Zander’s eyes widened. Titus knew Callia was his vulnerability? Fucking fantastic. His mind skipped back over the connection Titus and Callia seemed to share and that rage worked its way in again. He clenched his jaw to tamp it down. “Screw how it affects me. You know it’ll be a thousand times worse if those daemons find her now. I’m not letting them touch her. Not letting anyone touch her. She’s been through enough. You don’t like my methods, don’t agree with my decision? Too fucking bad. She’s not your soul mate, so it’s not your damn call.”
One side of Titus’s lips curled, just a touch. A lame-ass grin that made Zander want to shove his fist through the wall…or through Titus’s face, he didn’t care which.
“Suspicion confirmed,” Titus muttered. Then louder, “Word to the wise, dude. You are officially fucked.”
Zander glared at Titus as the other Argonaut moved toward the door. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
“Do yourself a favor, Z. Before you fuck this up any more than you already have. Tell Callia the truth.”
Zander stared after Titus as the guardian left the room, confused by what had just happened here. He’d never understood Titus, and now was no exception, but he had a strange feeling the guardian was trying to help him, not twist the knife. Outside in the hall, voices drifted to his ears, but he couldn’t make out the conversation. All he heard were Titus’s words pinging around in his head.
Tell Callia the truth? Yeah, right. That’d unleash a whole new set of problems he didn’t need. Being honest—truly honest with her—meant opening himself up to his humanity, something he’d been trained not to do. Could he do it now? Let go of that self-control, tear open his soul and give it to her once and for all? Consequences swirled in his mind. History and stories of Argonauts from Achilles’s line long dead. It would change him. Who and what he was. And the fundamental part of him that was a guardian. The immortal fighter he and the others had come to rely on. And then there was his son…
Footsteps drew close. A door slammed. Slowly his eyes lifted until he was staring at the very face he’d conjured in his mind. “Thea.”
“I trusted you.” Her eyes flashed. “‘I won’t shut you out.’ That’s what you said to me. I trusted you and you left me there while you ran off to play god.”
“Thea—”
“Don’t ‘thea’ me.” Callia advanced on him, shoved her index finger into his chest. Was as pissed as he’d ever seen her. And more gorgeous than he could have imagined. “You don’t ever get to call me that. He’s my son, Zander. Do you get that? Mine. You didn’t even know about him until recently.”
“Callia—”
She swatted at his hands. “Go to hell. I don’t need you, you know. I can get Theron or one of the others to help me get him back. I only came up here to warn you that you’re not going to push me out of this. I won’t let you.” Her eyes blazed as she turned for the door. “Stay clear of me, Zander.”
She had one hand on the door handle by the time he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and lifted her off the floor. “Wait.”
She struggled against his hold. “Let me go.”
“I can’t.” He pulled her back against his chest as words he hadn’t yet decided to speak bubbled up. “I’ve tried. Gods, I’ve tried but I haven’t been able to. I need you.”
“You never needed me. I was nothing more than a fling. A way to stick it to the Council. Something to pass your precious time.”
“That’s not true.” She squirmed against him, and though it wasn’t the reaction he wanted, he couldn’t help it. His blood ran hot and went due south. Being close to her always electrified him, especially when she was grinding her sweet ass into his hips like she was doing now. “You were everything. Are everything.”
“Liar.” She pushed back, jammed the heel of her boot into his shin. He winced as pain shot up his leg. “You believed the worst about me without hesitation.”
He had. She was right. And he’d never forgive himself for that fact. “I didn’t stop needing you. I never stopped wanting you.”
“Oh, yeah,” she scoffed. “I can feel how much you want me. That’s all you ever wanted from me, isn’t it, Zander? Sex. Yeah, we were good at that, weren’t we?”
A space in his chest went cold at the bite to her words. Instinctively, he let go.
She didn’t flee like he expected. Instead, she turned slowly, the fire brewing in her rivaling the rage he kept locked inside. “Why don’t you come and take me then, Zander? Since we both know that’s all I ever was to you.”
“Callia.” Something had shifted in her. Something fueled by revenge and that wicked attraction that had drawn them together the first time. “Stop.”
“Why?” One side of her mouth twitched, but there was no humor in her eyes. There was only anger and heat and malice. “I thought you said you needed me.”
“I do.” He backed up until he hit the couch. Held up his hands as she advanced, hoping to ward her off. Had no idea how things had turned so fast. “But not like this.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I think just like this. Come on, Zander. I’m just a weak female. You have all the power here.”
“No, I don’t.” Warning bells went off in his head. Even though this was wrong, even though he knew what she was doing had nothing to do with him and was all about making her point, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist her for long. Not when she was the one person he’d never been able to resist. “You do. You always have.”
The muscles around her violet eyes tightened. She had her hand on the towel at his waist before he even saw her arm dart out. “You’re right. I do.”
She yanked the towel from his body and tossed it on the ground. Her eyes settled on his hips and his very—dammit—erect arousal. “You may be saying no, but your body is definitely saying yes.” She lifted her gaze. Pushed her hands against his chest and moved closer until the long lean length of her body was pressed tight against his. “Come on, Zander. Show me how much you need me.”