Page 23 of Damian
This time, a tear falls. I shake my head. “I couldn’t accept him while you were a prisoner.”
“And now?”
My shoulders rise and fall. The weight I carry is too much. “I’m so broken. He only knows what I told everyone today. He doesn’t know what I had to do after I left here to survive. He’ll never look at me the same again.”
Georgia tosses her head back and snorts with laughter.
“I don’t see what’s so funny.”
She takes a moment to compose herself. “Today is the first time I’ve ever seen a true mate and what it looks like.” She nods in my daughters’ direction. “The way those two men are with your girls. The way Damian’s stare hasn’t left you since we moved over here. I only know the stories told around the campfire by those who’ve crossed over into Elysium, combined with what my own eyes tell me. There’s nothing that man won’t forgive.”
“My head agrees with you. My heart is another story.”
“What will become of me without a mate?” Georgia changes the subject with a whisper.
“You will come home with me.”
“Why? You have a new life to begin? I’ll only be an added burden.”
“You are a sister to my daughters. I’m not sure if they have figured out who you and Violet are to them because they are still learning how to use their senses, but abandoning you would add to the resentment they feel toward me. And that’s just the excuse I’m giving you. The truth is—I couldn’t live with myself if I left another person I love behind.”
My body shivers from the breeze in the air. I lower my head. “What happened to Anna? How did she…”
“Basil took her to meet a human? She didn’t return with him. He told us she jumped in front of a car.”
I wonder why Anna met with a human, but I save that question for later. A silent tear slides down my cheek. Anna deserved better. They all do.
Georgia sighs. “I guess we have some work to do. We need to get these heifers ready to meet these men pacing outside our labyrinth.
“But first, did you bring any medicine? One of us is dying.”
My heart sinks. “Take me to her.”
Chapter 15
Circe
“I left everyone I’ve ever cared about to follow my heart.” ~ Circe
Deep inside of my selfish heart, I knew Helios hadn’t created me for a human happily ever after. Helios, the god of the sun, had crafted me from the very essence of the dawn, infusing me with a purpose beyond mere mortal desires. I’m a demigod.
A groaning rose within my spirit the second Colin came out of the shadows during the ceremony, an ancient rite long forgotten held under the light of a moon.
The enemy’s arrival filled the air with tension. The moment our eyes met, I felt an undeniable pull, a force that bound us together in a way I couldn’t explain. I had to go with him. If only we’d gotten to stand before each other during the mating ceremony before the battle broke out. I’d have proof of Helios’ kiss on our necks.
Colin took me in his arms after we left Jazzland and accepted me as his. Jazzland, a place of revelry and illusion, had been the backdrop of our union. Its forgotten allure faded into the background as we escaped into the night.
The other two, Ambrose and Ioannis, grunted their objections, their voices filled with resentment and exhaustion. They had no fight left in them to turn me away.
Colin was born to one heifer in his herd, a fact that defied all logic and understanding. He still hasn’t explained to me how that’s even possible. Of course, I haven’t asked him about it, sensing that the answer might be more painful than the mystery itself.
Making love together when we can find a corner away from the others is an experience that can’t compare to my past indiscretions. The Fates made us for one another. Their threads wove our destinies into a tapestry of passion and fate.
Colin knew nothing of his Minotaur history nor of Helios’ blessing of mates created to complete one another. His lack of knowledge of his demigod heritage probably means he wouldn’t know the answer regarding how he exists.
I received another gift from the Fates, even though I don’t deserve their blessings. I ran with Colin during the start of my ovulation cycle. Our bodies moved in perfect harmony under the watchful gaze of the stars.
I’ve kept close track of my fertility calendar, hoping to trap another Minotaur. While I didn’t want a calf of my own, I knew no one would commit to me without one.