accusation. “You don’t believe me?”
“What?”
“If you think I’m lying about the vision, or I’m insane, then say it. But don’t tell me that running and hiding is the best option.”
“Of course I believe you, Daeton.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration. “I just don’t want anyone to die. Not today. Not any other day.”
She cupped his face with one hand and said, “Then trust me. I was meant to find this blade and face whoever is coming for us at sunset. I can’t do that without you and Ekho by my side.”
Ekho dropped down next to them and put his hand on Daeton’s shoulder. “We do believe you, honey kitten. It’s just frightening to consider the possibilities of facing whoever this menace is head-on.”
She smiled at them both. “I want all of us to live to see the sunrise, the threat of danger gone from our lives for good.”
Perseus pulled Daeton into his arms and looked at Ekho over her head. Ekho’s eyes were dark and his face was troubled. Perseus knew he must look the same way as well. But their bride was determined to follow the vision and if he’d learned anything about her since they’d met, it was that when she set her mind to something, she did it.
He stood and helped Daeton to her feet. Looking up at the sky, he said, “The morning is already wasting away. Let’s eat and then train.”
“Train?” she asked.
“You need to know how the blade feels in your hand. Bone is not the same as metal.”
She nodded and they headed back home. While his father cleaned the blade and wrapped the handle with strips of leather, Daeton helped his mother and the girls with breakfast. Perseus gathered his swords and sat down on the sofa to sharpen and clean them.
Ekho came to stand before him. “If it gets dicey, you should grab her and head the Hades out of danger.”
“I wouldn’t leave you behind,” Perseus argued, his hand pausing on the blade he was polishing.
“Daeton is the most important woman in both our lives. I’d rather die and let you both live, than for both of us to die and leave her alone. Promise me.”
Perseus growled internally, but knew that Ekho was right. In his half-shifted form, Perseus was much faster than Ekho, and if Daeton was in trouble, Perseus was the best option for a quick retreat.
Perseus reached his hand out, and he and Ekho grasped each other’s forearms. “I swear it.”
* * * * *
Daeton’s nerves were jangling like bells at Christmas. Each hour that passed drew them closer to sunset. Closer to facing whatever was coming for her. It didn’t really matter to her who was coming. The bear in her wanted justice for the person who planned to kill her mates, and that meant facing the danger head on. She had spent most of the day practicing with the blade. It was well balanced but oddly shaped, and although wrapped in leather, the handle was hard to hold and made her hand ache. But she powered through and continued to train with Finn and Odin, who were the best in the herd with blades.
Perseus had practiced all day with his own swords, working nearby as she practiced fighting with the blade. Ekho was a hand-to-hand fighter and didn’t use weapons because of the claws on his fingertips. He, Rysk, and Tyrant trained together. Although the bears used enormous swords that they swung as if they weighed nothing, they were also adept at hand-to-hand combat and grappled with Ekho in training. Any other day – when their lives weren’t in danger – she’d think about how sexy her mates were, their brows furrowed in concentration, their bodies slick with sweat from hard work.
Daeton wiped the sweat from her brow and put the blade in a makeshift sheath on her hip. She flexed her hands, wiggling her fingers.
“I have no doubt that you will do well, my daughter,” Cosmo said. He’d been overseeing everyone’s training, including hers.
“I
“What?”
“If you think I’m lying about the vision, or I’m insane, then say it. But don’t tell me that running and hiding is the best option.”
“Of course I believe you, Daeton.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration. “I just don’t want anyone to die. Not today. Not any other day.”
She cupped his face with one hand and said, “Then trust me. I was meant to find this blade and face whoever is coming for us at sunset. I can’t do that without you and Ekho by my side.”
Ekho dropped down next to them and put his hand on Daeton’s shoulder. “We do believe you, honey kitten. It’s just frightening to consider the possibilities of facing whoever this menace is head-on.”
She smiled at them both. “I want all of us to live to see the sunrise, the threat of danger gone from our lives for good.”
Perseus pulled Daeton into his arms and looked at Ekho over her head. Ekho’s eyes were dark and his face was troubled. Perseus knew he must look the same way as well. But their bride was determined to follow the vision and if he’d learned anything about her since they’d met, it was that when she set her mind to something, she did it.
He stood and helped Daeton to her feet. Looking up at the sky, he said, “The morning is already wasting away. Let’s eat and then train.”
“Train?” she asked.
“You need to know how the blade feels in your hand. Bone is not the same as metal.”
She nodded and they headed back home. While his father cleaned the blade and wrapped the handle with strips of leather, Daeton helped his mother and the girls with breakfast. Perseus gathered his swords and sat down on the sofa to sharpen and clean them.
Ekho came to stand before him. “If it gets dicey, you should grab her and head the Hades out of danger.”
“I wouldn’t leave you behind,” Perseus argued, his hand pausing on the blade he was polishing.
“Daeton is the most important woman in both our lives. I’d rather die and let you both live, than for both of us to die and leave her alone. Promise me.”
Perseus growled internally, but knew that Ekho was right. In his half-shifted form, Perseus was much faster than Ekho, and if Daeton was in trouble, Perseus was the best option for a quick retreat.
Perseus reached his hand out, and he and Ekho grasped each other’s forearms. “I swear it.”
* * * * *
Daeton’s nerves were jangling like bells at Christmas. Each hour that passed drew them closer to sunset. Closer to facing whatever was coming for her. It didn’t really matter to her who was coming. The bear in her wanted justice for the person who planned to kill her mates, and that meant facing the danger head on. She had spent most of the day practicing with the blade. It was well balanced but oddly shaped, and although wrapped in leather, the handle was hard to hold and made her hand ache. But she powered through and continued to train with Finn and Odin, who were the best in the herd with blades.
Perseus had practiced all day with his own swords, working nearby as she practiced fighting with the blade. Ekho was a hand-to-hand fighter and didn’t use weapons because of the claws on his fingertips. He, Rysk, and Tyrant trained together. Although the bears used enormous swords that they swung as if they weighed nothing, they were also adept at hand-to-hand combat and grappled with Ekho in training. Any other day – when their lives weren’t in danger – she’d think about how sexy her mates were, their brows furrowed in concentration, their bodies slick with sweat from hard work.
Daeton wiped the sweat from her brow and put the blade in a makeshift sheath on her hip. She flexed her hands, wiggling her fingers.
“I have no doubt that you will do well, my daughter,” Cosmo said. He’d been overseeing everyone’s training, including hers.
“I
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