Chapter 19 Ch 19

After Matt left, I walked to the adjoining bathroom and showered. It felt like a permanent smile was carved into my face. Basileus had taken me fully—there was nothing left between us he hadn't possessed. My heart, mind, body, and future were his. As good as having Matt here would be for everyone, I couldn't wait to have my hulking beast back. To drag my fingers through his long black fur. To feel the massive expanse between his shoulders and the muscles cording his long legs.

I was horny all over again by the time I got out of the shower. Once I'd found a dress and sweater to wear, I headed out to find food. I had yet to see the kitchen so I wandered down the long halls, brushing by billowing drapes and carpeted walls. This place was even grander than the chateau where Peter took me. While I wandered, I thought about this belonging to Basileus. He had been dead for thousands of years. More remarkably, he had never been human. He contained so much life and history I didn't know and likely never would.

My hands gripped my arms. His life was linked to Peter's. He would never escape him. It felt wrong to do to Peter what Lee, Angelica, and I had concluded we must. But he wouldn't stop until he found a way to kill Basileus and all of us. My face burned with anger. The thought of anyone coming near Basileus and my new family scalded me deeply. They had done what they could to find me and save me, so I would do the same for them.

"No," a voice from a nearby room drifted towards me. "We haven't marked each other yet."

Swallowing, I paused and wondered if I should turn around. I didn't want to eavesdrop. Then I heard Matt's voice and my feet carried me towards the conversation anyway.

"What are you guys waiting for?" he asked. "All of that shit is in the past. You can't keep holding it against him."

"I still have a hard time trusting him, Matt!" It was Lee.

"You have to forgive him. It's not like he's been talking to her in the last few months. Besides, he loves you. He wants to be with you."

A moment of quiet passed and then a long sigh. "I'm afraid."

I knew I should walk away. This was private information between Lee and Tandan. She was telling Matt because they were best friends. Something forced me to stay, though. I tiptoed closer to the cracked door.

"Afraid of what, Little Missy?" His voice was low and tender.

"That this is all going to fall apart," she whispered, voice breaking at the end.

"Oh, don't cry." A chair scuffed against the floor. "It's all going to be fine, Lee. It's hard and confusing. No one wrote a handbook for this shit. But you've got me, Basileus, Angelica, Anna, and Tandan. A whole team of support. We can fucking do this."

Her sniffle made my heart clench. She always put on such a strong front for me. I never realized how she was using it to disguise her fear.

"Anna?" called a deep timbre.

I spun around, shrieking a little, and saw Tandan sauntering towards me. My breathing hitched. Well, fuck. I'd been caught eavesdropping like a five-year-old.

Raising his brows, Tandan said, "What're you doing out here?"

The cracked door opened and I spun back towards it. Matt and Lee exited the room. Her face was a blotch of red although she'd clearly dried her tears. Matt was now dressed in a sweater and trousers. He glanced between me and Tandan, a flicker passing through his electric eyes.

"Matt—" Tandan began.

"What's going on?" Lee asked.

I gaped like a dying fish and then sputtered, "I was just looking for food!"

Lee seemed confused and Matt's face visibly hardened. Tandan leaned forward into the slightest crouch.

"Basileus let you out," Tandan observed.

"Yep." Matt bit the word out.

What the hell was going on? I thought they'd all be glad to see each other.

"Mmhmm." Folding his muscled arms over his chest, Tandan lifted his chin. "So why didn't I know? Why are you alone with my mate?"

Lee sighed. "We were catching up. It wasn't like you'd want to see him anyway."

"Maybe not, but it would have been nice to know he was back. Rather than finding him alone with you."

Her lips pursed but she didn't seem to have a response.

"I'm not taking her from you," Matt told him. "Get over your fucking insecurity. Can't you smell Anna? She's got my scent all over her."

"Yes, I noticed." Tandan looked at me with those piercing, dark eyes. He could seriously be terrifying when he wanted. His gaze flicked back to Matt. "How long are you here for?"

"Tandan!" Lee snapped. "Stop being such a dick."

"It's a good question!" he countered annoyedly.

The glow in Matt's eyes burned brighter as he stepped towards Tandan with a growl. "Enough."

Lee snarled with eyes narrowed at her mate.

Matt snapped his head back to say, "Both of you."

That silenced her. I kept my back pressed to the wall, afraid any movement would draw attention to my mortification. They could smell him on me? What else was I going to find out?

"Where is Angelica?" Matt asked. "We need to arrest Peter now before it's too late."

"She's in her room," Lee said. "I'll go get her."

"We'll meet you in the dungeon down below." Matt turned to Tandan. "Go with her."

"I don't need his help—" Lee started.

"I know, but Angelica will," he cut her off.

Lee shot a glare at Tandan and then, lifting her chin, strode off. Her mate followed on her heels with clenched fists. I slowly turned to Matt.

"Bit of an eavesdropper, are we?" he said, the stern look already missing from his face. It was replaced with a coy smirk that let me know Matt was back in full control of his body. Basileus never smiled like that; I didn't think he really knew what humor was.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "I really was just trying to find food."

"I know." He held out a hand to me. "Let's find you something to eat."

My legs felt like mush as I placed my palm in his. He tugged me in the opposite direction the others had gone. We walked in silence while I thought over what had happened, what I had heard.

"So," Matt spoke, "what did you and Lee and Angelica come to? I never heard the master plan."

"Angelica is going to freeze him. If she's around water, she can manipulate it to encapsulate him in an icebox. Or something similar. That way, he isn't dead but he isn't capable of getting in your way. Or Basileus' way."

He squeezed my hand. "How are you feeling about it? About Angelica?"

My breathing deepened. I'd been doing my hardest to not think about how that would play out. These people were my family now. Losing any more of the few I trusted would wreck me. I'd never handled death well.

"I don't know," I responded softly.

We rounded the corner and entered a large kitchen. The cabinets were white and the countertops were black granite, contrasting the creamy tiles on the floor. It was an expansive kitchen with views overlooking the rolling hills of the vineyard.

"That's okay," Matt murmured. "You don't have to think about the mountain until we're climbing it."

I nodded and felt his hand drop from mine. He swiftly went to the fridge, pulling out a tub of red meat and another with vegetables. He pulled out a cutting board and chopped the broccoli and carrots into short pieces. Then he dumped them in a pan on the stove with olive oil and returned to the cutting board for the meat. That too was chopped into smaller, bite-sized chunks.

He went on preparing the meal for several minutes. I didn't realize how absorbed I was in watching until he lifted his eyes. They were piercing in their enigmatic sea-green glow.

"It's ready," he told me. "Tandan and Lee should be getting Angelica ready now, so we need to eat quickly."

"Okay." I took the bowl he handed me and carried it to the table by the massive bay window. "Matt, can I ask you something?"

He settled into the chair beside me and nodded. "Of course. Anything."

"How long are you staying?"

His eyes snapped up to mine. "I'm never leaving you, Anna. Even when Basileus takes back over, I'll still be here."

"But it's different, Matt. He's the one I fell . . . he's just different from you. You're sharing a body, but hardly even that."

Sighing, he reached over to take my hand. "Don't worry about that now, okay? You have so much on your plate already."

My appetite waned, even though I was starving. I forced myself to eat some of his food and push off the thoughts. He squeezed my hand again.

"We have to go, Anna."

I set the fork down and sucked in a breath. My hands were trembling. We were taking Angelica, sweet and kind Angelica, to her death and locking Peter up in ice.

Shit, don't lose it yet, I told myself.

Steeling my muscles, I pushed away from the table and accepted Matt's extended hand again. He led me out to a staircase. My heart plummeted into my stomach as we descended the stairs.