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What do I do?
I wanted to be with Leo. The memory of her lips, her laugh, and the way she held my hand caused an ache, a need for her that I couldn’t ignore. The miles between us right now were too many.
I thought back to our earliest meeting, and how distant I’d kept myself even when I’d found her utterly fascinating. She’d commanded the lecture hall, kept not only me, but a room full of teenagers, hanging on her every word.
Leo had no idea how animated she became when she was passionate. I got the feeling, through those tiny pauses, her gaze going distant, and her quick blush, that the confidence she had in her professional life was at odds with her personal confidence.
And yet…
She’d bested Achilles.
She had bested the greatest general in Greek history.
Opening the door, I slid out of the car to stand in the rain. The fog was rolling in, obscuring most of the road. I walked around to the front of the car, braced my hands on the hood and groaned.
Around her, my friends—brothers, after all we’d been through—came alive. Paris had a spark in his eyes. Orestes lost the haunted, tortured expression that came from looking over his shoulder. Achilles—well, Leo had pulled him off a hunt, and that in itself was something I’d never known him to do.
And Hector.
Hector was not himself. Distracted, quick tempered, angry. Turned inward. He was more like Paris than Paris, and it had to be because of Leo. The man had lived these years like a monk, while even Paris had ventured into society now and then. Leo was waking Hector up.
His world had tilted, and he didn’t know what to do.
I knew the feeling.
“Shit.” I leaned back, letting the rain hit me in the face. “What do I do?” I asked the question to the universe, and it didn’t answer.
In the distance came the whine of an engine. Squinting into the fog, I tried to make out the vehicle that had to be headed my way. Soon enough, two headlights pierced the whiteness.
It wasn’t until the car was nearly next to me, that I made out the driver. Orestes?
“You need to get back.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Hector’s on a rampage.”
Only once before could that phrase have been applied to Hector. I hurried to the driver’s side and got into the vehicle while Orestes turned around and headed back to the cottage.
Revving the engine, I took off. My friend was pushing the car to the limit, hitting potholes, darting through mud. But it still wasn’t fast enough.
What was going on?
Orestes skidded to a stop, pulling right to the cottage door. He jumped out, slammed the door shut, and went inside without waiting for me.
I didn’t bother to even shut the car off. Throwing the car into park, I had the door open and one foot out before I’d come to a complete stop.
Inside, Hector’s voice seemed to fill the entire house. At the bottom of the stairs, Leo sat, her bag on her lap.
Ignoring my friend, I went to my knees. “What’s going on?”
Her eyes had widened when she saw me, and it killed me when she drew back and side-eyed my hand as I pressed it to her cheek.
“Pollux.” Orestes came back into the hall. “Hurry up.”
“Don’t go anywhere,” I commanded. She had her bag packed, and I could put two and two together. “I’m serious.”
Nodding, she dragged her bag a little tighter against her body.
“Pollux.”
I dropped a kiss to her head and hurried into the kitchen. Paris and Hector stood toe-to-toe, glaring at each other. Achilles was nearby, hands at his sides, feigning calm, but I caught his fingers twitch.
