Marcus' Prey

Chapter Eleven

If you were a god, you could be certain that she'd never have to again.

I forced the thought down brutally. I wasn't a god anymore, and though I might have allowed myself to wallow in self-pity before I'd found my Kaiah, I could do so no longer. In order to give my mate everything she deserved, I had to strive to be a male worthy of her. And that included learning to adapt to what I was, what I had become.

No more childish whining. No more pining for the past. I was what I was, and if I didn't accept that, how could I expect my sweet Kaiah to?

"I just..." I searched for the correct words.

"Don't like this?" Raphael replied dryly. I glared at the infuriating angel.

I know it irritated everyone – Lucifer, Ammi, and Meg – that Raphael and I so consistently butted heads. But we'd never taken to one another, especially since on our first meeting, he threw me across the room in an attempt to attack Amirykal. And then he'd fucking done it again, and nearly killed her. He was arrogant, he was smug, and he thought himself better than anyone outside of his family.

He was like a toxic combination of both Hera and Zeus; I couldn't think of two beings I despised more.

Or, it could just be because he threw me across a room, and then had the audacity to act as if I owed him a thank-you for healing my wounds afterwards.

Either way, he deserves my ire.

"I have never heard you sound so eloquent, healer," I replied with an obviously fake smile. His eyes narrowed briefly, before he turned away, ignoring me as if I weren't worth his time.

Lucifer growled under his breath, a long-suffering expression etched into his features. Finally, he stood.

"We'll drive ourselves insane, sitting here worrying," he said in that decisive, no-bullshit way he had. "We need to distract ourselves. Start strategizing."

"How can we strategize when all I want to do is scoop up my female's sweet ass and deposit her back here where she belongs?" I grumbled below my breath. Of course, all of the other males in the room heard me clearly.

"We could do it," Raphael agreed thoughtfully, and I almost perished, right then and there.

Had the angel just agreed with me?

"No," Luce snapped. "You won't tempt me. I promised Amirykal that I'd be more considerate of her wishes."

I grumbled, but I forced down my brutish instincts. He was correct, as much as I fucking despised that he was. Hadn't I promised myself I wouldn't follow in Luce's footsteps? Hadn't I promised my Kaiah that I would give her the space she asked for? That I would give her time?

I fucking hated that I'd promised her that.

But I'd been right to, hadn't I? I needed to resign myself to what I was and give her what she needed.

"Fine," Raphael spat, crossing his arms in a manner almost identical to his brother. "But this is the last fucking time I let her do this."

Benjamin snorted. "You were there. You could've stopped her. You didn't. And you won't."

Raphael's eyes narrowed at the soldier. "I'd like to see you fucking try to tell my Megara 'no'."

"Or Amirykal, for that matter," Lucifer agreed, the pride in his voice unmistakable. For all his bitching, I know he wouldn't have Ammi any other way.