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“Well, look at what the werecat dragged in,” Pol says.
I don’t give him the satisfaction of a response. Pol likes to push buttons.
“You look like hell,” he adds when I don’t respond.
“You should see the other guy,” I tell him.
“Oh, I heard.” Pol chuckles. “Five thousand years of imprisonment, and at the first taste of freedom, you get drunk and lose your shit on one of our own.”
I scowl. “That’s not how it is.”
“Then how is it?”
“That asshole had it coming,” I tell him.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. But you must have needed to blow off steam pretty badly if Styx let you have all the fun.”
I shake my head, in no mood to rehash it. “Is he in?” I ask, angling my head toward the castle’s private living quarters.
Pol waves me onward. “He’s expecting you. Hey, next time you want to brawl, call me. We’ll make it a fair fight.”
I ignore his shit-talking and continue making my way toward the residence.
Pol’s wrong. Freedom has nothing to do with it, and I have to believe Caius will let this go. The ruler of Tartarus might have begun as nothing more than my prison warden and bonded master, but somewhere along the way, he became a friend. He’ll understand what I did and why.
What he won’t like is the favor I’m going to ask.
But I must deal with my mate before I go completely mad from resisting her. And I can’t do that if I’m serving another master.
Even now, I can feel my beast stirring for her. To see her, speak with her, touch her—again. It doesn’t seem to mind the idea that her touch could kill me. Although, that’s a fact yet to be determined.
At the top of the stairs, a young guard perks up at the sight of me. “General,” he greets, straightening his shoulders and standing taller.
“Riggs. At ease.”
He relaxes but barely. “Heard you went a few rounds at Osiris the other night.” He grins.
I stop and stare at him until his grin fades.
“Sorry, sir,” he mumbles. “None of my business.”
“Damn right it isn’t,” I tell him before letting myself through the door at his back.
Caius is seated at the end of a long table when I enter. The impressive spread of food is untouched and ignored in favor of the female currently draped over his lap.
“Ahem.” I clear my throat, and they reluctantly break apart.
“Legion.” Caius eyes me around the curve of his mate’s throat which he’d just been licking.
“Your timing is impeccable as usual,” Reagan says.
She turns and shoots me a scowl, but the smile that follows is friendly. Since she took her place at Caius’ side a few months ago, I’ve come to know her as warm and open.
She’s a welcome addition to Caius’ court, though I don’t understand the draw to the male before me. He’s decent as gods go, but he’s still a grump and an asshole. Apparently, there’s someone for everyone.
Except for me.
“I can come back,” I say, “If this is a bad time.”
