Gaping, Styxx sputtered at the unexpected sight of Bethany and her gigantic guest. Horrified, he quickly reversed direction and grabbed the towel he'd left on the floor by the pool. Please tell me that's not her father....
"Um, Styxx?"
He flinched at her sweet voice that could have warned him before he'd embarrassed himself by walking about with all his business hanging loose. Granted, he was in his private chambers.... That didn't really matter to him at the moment. "I'll be right out, akribos."
"At least he speaks Egyptian. Mixed with Greek, but..."
Styxx cringed inwardly at that deep rumbling voice that shook the walls around him. This was so not how he'd wanted to meet his future in-laws.
Have I not suffered enough degradations in my life? Really?
Aggravated and humiliated, he returned with the towel wrapped around his hips to find Bethany standing next to a man who didn't look that much older than either of them.... Still, he bore enough resemblance to Bethany that Styxx knew his death was imminent.
Especially since the well-muscled man towered over Styxx by a good foot. Crap. She'd neglected to tell him just how large a man her father was.
"Hmmm," the man said, narrowing his stern gaze on Styxx. "He's not a coward. That's a plus."
She laughed. "Papas, stop teasing him."
With that confirmation of the man's identity, Styxx wanted to melt into the floor and vanish. This was definitely not the way he'd envisioned meeting her father.
Clothes would have been a nice option.
"Forgive me, Lord Set, I wasn't expecting company."
"I should hope not, given your state of undress. While I've often said the Greeks are uncivilized, as a rule you do generally have enough manners not to walk around bare-assed with company present."
Bethany scowled at him. "Please, stop. I'm sure Styxx is mortified enough." She approached Styxx. "I'm so sorry we didn't warn you. My father found out about the baby, and insisted he meet you immediately."
Without thinking, Styxx started to wrap his arms around her as he normally would then caught himself as he remembered her father's proclivity for slicing off parts of male anatomy, and that was from men who hadn't impregnated his only daughter. "Um..."
Set laughed. "And he appears to be housebroken, otherwise he'd have made a mess just now when he reached to touch you, daughter." He stepped forward and offered his hand to Styxx. "Relax, son. The way your entire face lit up when you first saw my girl tells me everything I need to know about how you feel where she's concerned ... and I know how she feels about you. So long as I love my daughter, you are safe from harm."
When Styxx went to take his hand, Set jerked him into a fatherly embrace. He tightened his grip around Styxx to show him just how inhumanly strong he was. "But should you ever break her heart, I will dine on yours."
"Papas!"
He kissed Styxx's cheek before he released him. "I'm merely having fun with him, Bet. Surely you can allow me that much. It's not every day I get a new child, never mind two of them at once." He stepped back then frowned.
Before Styxx could ask what had him upset, Set turned Styxx around to examine his back. Clenching his teeth, Styxx knew exactly what had him irritated.
"You're marked by Apollo?"
Styxx had to force himself not to growl over something that was still a huge sore spot for him. "I was. He released me."
Set's eyes turned to a deep gold color that matched Bethany's. "You should know, I hate that bastard. Passionately."
"Then we are united, my lord. I hold no love of him either. He marked me against my will, and I haven't forgiven it."
That immediately relaxed the older god and changed his eyes back to a deep blue. "You are even more welcomed to my family, Styxx. I extend my protection to you. Should he ever come at you again, let me know."
"I appreciate it, my lord. Thank you."
Set inclined his head then turned toward Bethany. "While I'm still not thrilled he's Greek, at least you chose a prince and a champion who speaks our language." He glanced back at Styxx and smiled. "And I can pretend his towel is a shendyt."
Styxx visibly cringed this time. "I hope I haven't overly offended you."
"By your lack of dress? Not at all. Impregnating my daughter-"
Bethany slapped him in the stomach, causing him to cut off his words mid-sentence. "Stop, Papas. He doesn't know you're teasing him."
"Who said I was teasing?"
"He's teasing you, my love, and now he's going."
Set opened his mouth to protest then clamped his jaw shut as if he knew better than to try. "Fine. I shall leave you two alone. But I will see you at dinner tonight, daughter. We have a wedding to discuss. Whatever plans you've made, I am sure they're inadequate."
He vanished instantly.
Bethany held her hand out toward Styxx. "You are still alive, right?"
Styxx laughed nervously. "For the moment."
"Are you completely embarrassed?"
"To the core of my being. But I'm too grateful to have survived the encounter with all my body parts intact to complain." Now that they were alone, he wrapped his arms around her and splayed his hands against her stomach to feel their baby. "Little Galen is extremely active today."
"I think he knows the sound of your voice. Anytime you speak, he immediately starts moving."
"Really?"
She nodded and pulled his hand lower to where their son was really thrashing about.
"Does that hurt you?"
"No. Not at all. Though he does wake me occasionally at night when he stirs."
"I can't wait to meet him." And yet Styxx couldn't shake the bad feeling that stayed in his own stomach.
She kissed his cheek. "Are you ready for your birthday celebration?"
Sighing, he pulled away from her. "I've been wanting to talk to you about that."
Bethany scowled at the odd note in his voice. "What?"
"There's no way for me to say this without it sounding bad so I'm just going to say it and please don't be offended."
With every word he spoke, her panic mounted. "What?" she repeated.
"I don't want you here for it."
She was definitely offended. "Why?"
"I have a terrible feeling, Beth. One that won't go away. I would just rather you be safe and away from here."
She winced at the needless fears that constantly plagued him. Especially since Galen's death. He was terrified the gods would rob him of anyone he cared for. "I'll be fine, love. It's just your war nerves again, and I understand. You've had too many vicious attacks. But no one's going to hurt me or the baby."
"Beth-"