Page 13 of One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter 15)
"Now, are you going to fulfill your word and release Medea?"
Stryker wondered at her sudden change of subject. "Absolutely." He held his hand out toward her again, expecting her to slap it away.
She narrowed her gaze on it as if the thought was in her mind. Just when he was sure she'd knock it away, she reached out and took it gently in hers.
Stryker didn't know why that made his heartbeat increase, but it did. Her skin was so soft. Her hand dainty and small. He could crush every bone in it and yet this one hand had once held enough power to bring him to his knees. "I'd forgotten how small you are."
She'd always seemed larger than life. But with her near, he remembered just how good she'd felt snuggled up to him at night.
"I'm big enough to kick your ass."
He lifted her hand so that he could place a kiss on her palm. "I look forward to it."
Her eyes darkened. "Are you delaying me on purpose?"
"No." He placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and flashed them back to the receiving room in Kalosis. "I will keep my promises to you. Always."
"I might buy that had you not already broken the most significant promise a man can make to a woman. At the first test of your father, you fled. Call me jaded."
"There's no need to be jaded, my love." He led her to his chambers where an extremely irate Medea was waiting for them.
As soon as he opened the door, Zephyra left him to make sure no harm had come to their daughter.
Medea glared hatefully at him. "You're right, Mum. He is a prick."
Zephyra laughed. "Eleven thousand years and you still don't listen to my wisdom."
"You're only fourteen years older than I. It doesn't really give you much of an advantage now, does it?" Medea looked past her mother. "Why's he still breathing?"
"We've made a warrior's pact, he and I. For the next two weeks we have to suffer him and then I can cut his throat."
Stryker let out a deep breath at their rancorous reunion. "You two do realize that I'm still present?"
Zephyra gave him a haughty stare. "We know. We just don't care."
"Oh. Well, as long as we're straight on that . . ." He rolled his eyes. "Why don't I have one of my servants show Medea to her own set of rooms?"
"What about me?" Zephyra asked.
A slow smile spread across his face. "You'll stay here. With me."
Zephyra folded her arms over her chest. Stryker was being just a hair overconfident where she was concerned. While she had to admit he was a handsome man, it didn't change the fact that she hated him. "You're awfully sure of your charms."
"I've had time to hone them."
Medea curled her lip. "Gag reflex on the daughter, parents. Please respect the fact that vomiting up blood is disgusting and unless you two want to be hosed down with it, I'll take those rooms now, please."
"Davyn!" Stryker called.
His Daimon appeared instantly. "My lord?"
"Show my daughter to Satara's rooms. Make sure she has everything she needs."
Davyn inclined his head to him. "Is she free to come and go?"
He looked to Zephyra. "Are you going to send her to kill me?"
"No. I gave you my word, and unlike you, I stand by it. You're safe, coward. I would never send a little girl in to do her mother's work."
He didn't respond to her insults. "Give her access to the boltholes."
"Yes, my lord."
"Medea?" Stryker waited until she'd looked back at him before he spoke again. "Don't worry. Satara's rooms are far enough away that you won't be subjected to the sounds of our wild monkey sex."
Zephyra gaped.
Medea looked much less than pleased. "You were right, Mum. I should have allowed you to cut his throat." She faced Davyn. "Get me out of here as quickly as possible."
Davyn's eyes danced with humor as he shut the doors behind them.
As soon as they were alone, Zephyra shook her head. "That was a cruel thing to do to her."
"I couldn't resist. Besides, you should have taught her to never let anyone know her weaknesses."
"We're her parents. We're supposed to love her and not slash at her weaknesses."
"And yet here we sit plotting the death of my father and aunt."
"You're plotting their deaths. I'm only waiting to kill you."
"True, but the point is . . . family today, enemies tomorrow."
"And that has always been your problem, Stryker. I believe in family forever. As they say, blood is thicker than water, and in the case of Apollites, it's even more true."
If only he could believe in that. But it had never been proven true in his experience. All family did was provide an inroad for enemies. "When has my family ever stood by me?"
"I think the real question is when have you ever stood by them? I would have been there for you. Forever. But you never gave me the chance."
In spite of the hurt and betrayals of his past, he was piqued by her words. He wanted so much to have someone he could trust beside him. Just once. Only Urian had been there for him, and it was why he'd been so angry when he'd learned that Urian had kept secrets from him. That his son had gone behind his back . . .
Did he dare trust Zephyra?
"I'm giving you that chance now."
Zephyra stepped away. "It's too late. Too many centuries have passed. There was a time when I lived only to hear a kind word from your lips. But that ship sank under an assault of bitterness that no amount of charm or guile will recover."
Stryker dipped his head down to where their lips were almost touching. "The fierce rhythm of your heart tells me that you're lying. You still want me."
"Don't mistake my wrath for lust. It's your blood I want, not your body."
He didn't believe that. Not for a minute. "Tell me honestly that you're not thinking even a little bit about what I look like naked. That you're not remembering the way we made love to each other."
She reached down to carefully cup his erection in her hand. "You're a man, Stryker. I know that's what you think about." She clenched her hand tightly, making him gasp and double over as pain ripped through his groin. She sank her nails into his scrotum. "But I'm a woman, and as the great poet so cleverly wrote, hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. Consider me your personal hell." With one hard jerk, she stepped away.
Stryker wanted to blast her, but his body hurt so much that all he could do was glare at her as she turned and left him alone in his room.
"This isn't over, love," he growled painfully. He was going to reclaim her and make her beg for his forgiveness. No matter what it took, he would have her.
Then he would kill her himself.
