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My heart skipped a beat, and with it, a fresh wave of anxiety.
“That means ...” I sighed, and he nodded.
“You have to tell your dad.”
I groaned, scrubbing my hands down my face. “Can’t I just stay here in Hell and hide?”
“Tartarus isn’t Hell,” he repeated.
“You’re right,” I muttered. “Hell is telling my dad I’m mated to you.”
Chapter34
Reagan
“You can’t keep avoiding your family,” Caius said against the rim of his teacup before taking a sip. He peered at me, waiting for a response. “It’s been two weeks, Reagan.”
My feet were propped up on the edge of his desk, a sketch pad in my lap.
I sighed. “I know. I like to avoid conflict.”
“Odd that your chosen profession was a gravedigger,” he quipped, smirking. Setting down the cup, he straightened his posture. “Your sister has been sending letters. Nog won’t stop barking about all the questions they’re asking?—”
“I see what you did there.” I smiled.
He hummed, not skipping a beat. “And you still haven’t told them we’re mated. Were I a lesser man, I’d think you were ashamed.”
“But you’re not a lesser man. You’re a god, so . . .”
“So you’ve reminded me every time my face is between your thighs.” He winked, and warmth spread over me.
My lips twisted to the side in a smile, thinking about our lovemaking the past two weeks. “Of course it’s notaboutyou. It’s the act oftellingthem about you. It’s hard.”
“Would you like me to go with you?”
“Go with you where?” Clara asked, waltzing into the room with a book under one arm and a crochet bag under the other.
“Back home to visit Sin and Dad.” She tripped, stumbling forward before she quickly recovered while mumbling about the uneven stones in the castle and the least they could do was put a rug over it.
“So, when are you going?” She took a seat next to me, setting her belongings in a chair to her other side.
I glanced at Caius, and he gave me a disapproving look. “Tomorrow,” I muttered.
“Why would you want to come anyway?” I asked my mate, reaching for the platter of assorted breads, cheeses, and fruits sitting in the middle of the table. I popped a strawberry in my mouth.
“To be supportive, for one.”
“And two?”
“It’s your family. I should probably speak with Alvaro as well. He’s the alpha of his pack, and he’s your father. It only seems respectful that I officially ask for your hand in marriage.”
A brief moment passed in silence where I waited for him to say more. When I realized that he was waiting for my reply, a giggle bubbled up and Clara joined in with my laughter.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were serious,” I said. “We don’t do that anymore. I mean, I’m sure some people do, but that tradition got squashed a long time ago. He doesn’t own me. He can’t give me away.”
“That is ... an excellent point,” he said, taking a stack of papers and shuffling them into a pile. “I don’t think I ever considered it from that perspective.”
“Men usually don’t, but to be fair, that isn’t unique to men. There are women who don’t realize they’re treated like possessions, and they just stupidly go along with it,” Clara said, rolling her eyes.
