The Darkest Captive (Lords of the Underworld 14.5)

“He can’t keep me from you,” she said. “And if he tries, you won’t have to strike at him, because I will have already mowed him down.”

Pride sparkled in Galen’s eyes, and maybe Aeron’s, too.

“I want you both in my life,” she continued. “I’ve been deprived of enough already, don’t you think? So find a way to get along. That’s an order.”

Fox stepped forward. Planning to threaten Aeron?

“No.” Legion pointed a finger at her. “You don’t have a say in anything.”

The other woman returned to her spot beside Galen.

Well, well. Legion hadn’t possessed this air of authority in forever, and she liked it. “Galen, tell Aeron you’re not going to lie to him ever again.”

“I won’t lie unless—”

“Galen,” she snapped.

“I won’t lie,” he said, and sighed.

“Aeron,” she said next. “Tell Galen he’s welcome in your home.”

Aeron remained stubborn. “He killed one of my friends.”

“Yes, and your friend came back to life,” she reminded him.

“After thousands of years,” he retorted.

She glared. “Tell. Him.”

Like her boyfriend—she really liked that title—Aeron sighed. “Fine. He’s welcome here.”

“Good boys.” With a contented smile, she patted Aeron’s cheek, then kissed Galen’s lips. “My work here is done.” Head high, she strolled from the room.

Chapter Thirteen

“Legion!” “Honey buns!” “Honey badger!”

The chorus rang out as different Lords and Ladies noticed her arrival in the kitchen. At the table, Keeley sat on Torin’s lap, feeding him grapes. Paris stood behind Sienna’s chair, massaging her wings and shoulders. Sabin occupied a window alcove, watching as Gwen paced in front of him.

Everyone rushed over to hug Legion. She was all smiles as she returned their embraces.

“You look so good,” Keeley said. “You’re glowing! I knew Galen would be an incredible lover. I just knew it.”

Torin cringed, saying, “My poor, sweet ears.”

Legion’s cheeks heated. “Sometime in the future, I would like to speak with you alone, Keeley.” There was too much going on right now, too many prying ears. She had questions about Cronus’s mental link—ways to stop him if ever he or anyone else tried again. As old as Keeley was, as much knowledge as she possessed, she would know.

“Are you going to ask me for sex advice?” the other woman asked. “Because I’ve been thinking about this for the past two minutes and I have some ideas.”

No time to reply. Gwen whisked in front of her. “Okay, I need you to blink twice if Galen forced you to look so happy so we wouldn’t gut him.”

Galen’s daughter was a stunningly beautiful woman. Harpy. Whatever. She had long, strawberry blonde hair, big blue eyes so like her father’s, and flawless golden skin. Adorable iridescent wings fluttered on her back.

Harpies descended from demons and vampires, and they were extraordinarily strong and as fast as lightning. By nature, they were bloodthirsty, vicious, and vindictive.

“I’m genuinely happy,” Legion said, her smile widening. “Your dad is a good man. He loves you, you know. I think you should give him a chance.”

“Ew. Gross.” Gwen grimaced. “You said the D-word.”

“You tamed the untamable Galen.” Sienna pushed her way forward, using her wings to nudge people out of the way. “From now on, I’m going to call you The Legiondary.”

Keeley was the next one to step up. “I’m so jealous. You’ve got Galen in the sweet spot—desperate for your approval. Never let him leave it.”

Legion fluffed her hair.

Footsteps sounded. All conversations ceased. Excitement crackled in the air.

Heat pricked the back of her neck. Galen had followed her, hadn’t he?

Slowly she pivoted on her heels. Sure enough, he loomed in the kitchen entryway. His ocean water blues scanned the occupants, and to an untrained observer, he might appear cold and removed. Not Legion. For a split second, his gaze hitched on Gwen, glittering with untold longing.

The same untold longing consumed Legion, blending with all the love in her heart. So much longing and love it terrified her. Would she always feel this strongly with Galen? And what would happen if ever she lost him?

“Hello, traitor,” Sabin said, his tone even. He unveiled a smile full of bite, and yet, there was no real malice, as if he wanted to hold on to a grudge he’d already forgiven.

Still, anger sparked. Lashing out might not be such a bad thing.

“Hello, son.” Galen’s smile had bite, too, but just like with Sabin, there was no malice. He spread his arms and waved his fingers. “Come give Papa a kiss.”

“How about I give you a full-on make-out session with my fists?” Sabin lunged at him.

In a flash of movement, Gwen had her boyfriend—husband—consort—whatever on the floor, her boot positioned on the back of his neck. “Nope. No fighting. I don’t like blood on my appliances.”

One day, I will be swift and strong. She would train until nothing and no one had the ability to overpower her. She would protect Galen the way he had protected her.

“Where was this animosity the last hundred times I visited?

” Galen asked casually.

With Gwen crushing his windpipe and all, it must have been difficult for Sabin to speak, but somehow he managed to rasp, “You weren’t sleeping with our girl back then.”

“My girl. And anyone who says otherwise gets—” Galen looked at Legion, popped his jaw. “A ten-second frencher. Not a dagger through the heart.”

“A frencher is worse,” Paris said, and pretended to gag.

“Me, me!” Keeley raised her hand. “Sign me up for some of that.”

A growl reverberated in Legion’s chest, surprising her. She loved Keeley, and knew the woman would never cheat on Torin, so why—

Ahhhh. Okay. Yeah. The demon of Jealousy. Legion finally had something to lose, so she’d finally gotten a true taste of the bastard’s evil, despite her natural defenses. No wonder Galen hadn’t wanted her to spend any alone-time with Aeron.

Her winged warrior offered her a sensual wink. “Look at me, being a big boy again. I didn’t attack, even when I had every provocation. Do I get a reward?”

“Big boys get big rewards,” she said, and blew him a kiss.

“If you’ll excuse us.” Galen took Legion’s hand with his metal one and led her from the kitchen.

No one protested. A few people wagged their brows. Keeley tried to high-five Gwen, who flatly refused, so the Red Queen high-fived herself.

“Did anyone else find Galen hot just now?” she heard Sabin say. “Oh, uh. Yeah. Me neither.”

She snorted. Galen rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t mask his contentment.

When they reached a private hallway, he spun to face her. No, not just to face her, but to back her into a wall. With his hands at her temples, and his wings wrapped around her sides, he caged her in.

Heart racing, blood heating, she peered up at him. “Hallway quickie?”

He brushed the tip of his nose against hers. “I want to prepare you,” he said.

“And I want you to prepare me, too.” Arching her hips, rocking against his erection, she kissed the thundering pulse in his neck. “Can we go to our bedroom first?”

After hissing in a breath, he said, “I’m not talking about sex. Though we’ll get to that. I want to prepare you for the truth. I’m going to mess up sometimes. Being nice to people who threaten me is new, and I’m asking—no, I’m begging—you for a learning curve. I realize now that I might have been too hopeful”—he sneered the word—“when I promised not to attack your loved ones.”