This was what came of allowing humans to know of Atlantis; this was what Javar warned him of.
While Javar had not been an easy man to know, he had been like a father to Darius. They had understood each other. When Teira entered Javar's life, the man had softened and the bond between tutor and student had deepened, ever as it widened. What a senseless death. A needless death. He'd lost no one close to him since the murder of his family. And now trickles of pain, both past and present, rose within him like a tide of water, seeping insidiously past his defenses and eroding the very fabric of his detachment. A sharp ache stabbed him, and he gripped his chest.
Deny your tears and keep the hurt inside you, boy. Use it against those who mean us harm. Kill them with it.
Javar had said one variation after another of those words. He wouldn't want Darius to mourn him, but mourn him Darius did. He would not have survived those first years without Javar, without the purpose his tutor had given him.
He should have killed the human man, Mitch, Darius thought dispassionately. He should have killed both human men. Mitch and Patrick. They each had knowledge of the mist, had most likely entered and had played a part in Javar's death. Had he destroyed them, however, he felt certain Grace's brother would have been killed in retaliation.
More than that, he hadn't wanted Grace to view him as a killer. Protector, yes. Lover, most definitely. But ruthless slayer? No longer.
He could only guess at how she would react if she fully beheld the beast inside him. Tremble with fear and disgust? Run from him as if he were a monster? He didn't want her scared of him; he wanted her pliant. Welcoming. He just wanted her, all of her. Now… and perhaps always.
He'd come so close to losing control with the one called Patrick, and it had required a conscious effort to calm himself. Coming face-to-face with the man who had run his fingertips over Grace's sleeping body had infuriated him. Only he was allowed to touch her. Only he, Darius, was allowed to gaze at her luscious curves and imagine her stripped and open, ready and eager.
She belonged to him.
He wished to give her the world, not take it from her.
He wished to fill her days with excitement and her nights with passion. He wished to protect her, honor her and devote himself to her needs. He could not let her go, he realized now. Not ever. He needed her for she was his heart. His emotions had never been mild where she was concerned but as unstoppable as a turbulent storm.
I'll never be able to harm her . The admission solidified inside him. His deepest male instincts had known since the beginning. The woman was a part of him, the best part, and hurting her would destroy him .
There was a way to have it all, he decided. A way to keep her from harm, a way to keep her for himself and still honor his oath.
He had only to figure out what that was.
CHAPTER 17
With the stolen medallion in his pocket, Alex clasped Teira's hand in his, grateful for her warmth, her softness and her strength.
A tremor racked him. Not from the cold or blood loss, but from the forced drug-induced hunger. He craved, oh, how he craved more of that damning substance. His mouth was dry. His head pounded, creating a dull ache he knew would soon become a raging inferno of pain. He needed those damn drugs and was appalled that a part of him wanted to stay here and await another dose.
The other part of him, the saner part, flashed pictures of his sister and his mother through his mind. Next came an image of Teira being dragged away, being hurt in the worst possible ways. This picture lingered, fueling a spark of anger. And that anger overrode the hunger.
He was leaving this place tonight.
Saving Teira was necessary for his peace of mind. He owed her. They were in this together; they had only each other.
'Are you ready?' he asked. They'd waited for the palace above to quiet, and now silence held them in its grip.
'Ready,' she answered.
'I'll keep you safe,' he promised her, praying he spoke true.
'And I will keep you safe,' she replied, her tone more assured than his own.
How could he ever have doubted her? Alex wondered. He gave her hand a squeeze. 'Let's do this.'
Together they stepped toward the doors, and the thick ivory barriers slid open smoothly, as if they'd never offered any hindrance. How simple , he thought. Carry a medallion and come and go as you please . Drawing in a steadying breath, Alex hurried Teira from the cell. He kept his footsteps light, but all the while his heart thudded in his chest.
The deeper he roamed from the cell, the more frigid the air became, chapping his skin. Fog billowed about like a frenzied snowstorm, so thick he could only see what was directly in front of his face. Dry ice, he realized, recalling how Jason had bragged about sending bags of it through the portal. The shards crunched beneath his boots.
He was grateful for the fog. It embraced him in its chilly depths and kept him hidden from view. Using his free hand, he trailed his fingertips over the wall, letting the rough texture be his guide.
Beside him, Teira's body shuddered. He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her slim waist, pulling her into the warmth of his side, rubbing his hand over her ice-cold arm. Her delicate scent wafted to his nose, heating his blood. He wished he could see her face, wished he could see the glistening fog create a halo around her because he knew beyond a doubt that it would be the most erotic sight he'd ever seen.
'I'm here,' he soothed.
'The cold… it makes me weak,' she said, stumbling.
His own weakness had him stumbling, as well, but he used his weight to hold them both steady. 'I'll get you warm,' he said. As they trekked deeper through the palace, Alex expected alarms to erupt. He expected men with guns to surround them. Instead, silence.
The wall ended all too quickly, and he was left with only air and fog to guide him. Where did he go from here? The ghostly whiteness was too thick. As he deliberated, a lone figure parted the fog and rounded a corner.
Unseen, Alex forced Teira quietly behind him, waiting until the man closed the distance. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled with tension as each new second passed. When the guard stepped close enough, Alex didn't allow himself to think. He simply slammed his fist into the man's exposed trachea, cutting off his air. Gurgling, he went down hard and fast. Alex didn't know if he'd killed him, and he didn't care.
Motions shaky, he removed the man's coat and fastened it around Teira's shoulders. The thick brown material swallowed her slight frame. He looked for a gun, but didn't see one. When he spotted a fallen fire extinguisher, he hefted it up and looped the straps around his shoulders. Not a great weapon, but it would have to do.
'Which way is the portal?' he whispered to Teira.
'You cannot use the portal here. I tried to escape before, when they took me from you. Too many guards. Too many weapons.'
He uttered a frustrated sigh and pushed a hand through his hair. He hadn't come this far to be stopped now. 'We'll have to take them by surprise.' Though how the two of them were going to pull that off, he didn't know.
'There's another way,' she said. 'A second portal on other side of the island. Darius en Kragin is Guardian there and we will con-convince-is that right word?-him to allow you to pass.'
A grin of relief lifted the corners of his lips. He placed his face so close to hers their noses touched, and he gazed into her golden eyes. 'You lead the way, baby. I'll follow you anywhere.'
She returned his grin, though an air of sadness clung to the edges of hers. 'I do not want to lose you,' she said. 'I do not want you to go.'
'Then come with me.' When she opened her mouth to protest, he interjected, 'Don't give me your answer
