Chapter 10 #2
Outside of sex, he had no reason to be so transparent and protective of me. A man like Thal could have had sex anywhere, so that wasn’t enough to convince me that he was using me in any way at all.
Perhaps he believed what he had said, each word carrying sincerity. Maybe I could convince myself that his true goal was to look out for me.
I was trapped in a difficult dilemma, either choice seemed equally bad.
Supporting Thal meant openly opposing Zeno and making an enemy of him.
I wondered if Zeno’s anger would be so intense that he might see me as a traitor worth killing.
This unsettling thought constantly haunted me, refusing to go away despite my wishes.
I couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation.
Staying meant exposing myself to Zeno’s own failings.
Was I risking everything, tethered to his sinking ship?
The weight of these questions felt overwhelming, suffocating and unyielding. I uncapped the bottle once more, allowing the alcohol to overwhelm my senses, attempting to momentarily drown the unending storm of my thoughts.
The wine sharpened my anger, instead of numbing the pain. I looked at the dark glass of the window, seeing the girl Zeno wanted me to be: a loyal, silent ward.
Fuck that girl. He accused me of betrayal before I’d even committed the sin. He threatened to trade my body to Rhea like a line item on a ledger.
If I was a traitor, I was going to be the best he’d ever seen. I wasn’t a ward. I was the Ghost of Olympus, and I was about to haunt him.
How dare he speak to me that way, treat me as if I owed him everything. I hadn’t asked to be taken in, nor had I given him any say in the matter. Every step he claimed he took was to repay a debt to my father. A sickening excuse.
Fuck. Fuck all of this.
A sudden knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. I wondered if Zeno had come to apologize for his terrible behavior, though I wasn’t sure that it was even possible. Not once had I heard him admit fault in his life.
“Who is it?” I called out, my voice steady as I reached for the handle.
“It’s Thal,” the voice responded.
My heart raced at the sound of his name. I swung the door open eagerly, a smile spreading across my face as my eyes locked onto him.
“What a surprise,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight. Come in.”
I moved aside to let him in, watching as he crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him, the soft click of the lock echoing.
He didn't smile. He looked at me like I was a fragile masterpiece he’d just found in a house on fire.
I didn't know then that he’d already seen the blood debt—that he knew I was currency, but I felt the shift in the air.
Every time he touched me now, it felt less like a caress and more like a claim.
“I got your text,” he said, his voice a low, dangerous hum as he gathered me into his arms. He anchored me, his grip white-knuckled. “I thought I’d reply in person.”
My breath hitched. The warmth I usually felt from him was gone, replaced by a heat so intense it felt like a warning. “Thal? Zeno called ... he’s spiraling. He thinks he can still control the board.”
“Zeno can try,” Thal whispered against my skin, his lips brushing my ear and making my knees quake.
“But I would burn this entire city to ash before I let Rhea or Zeno put a single finger on you again. You aren’t a debt to be paid, Daphne.
You’re the prize they’re going to lose. And I’m the only one who's keeping you.”
“Have a seat. I’ll be right there,” I said, heading to the kitchen.
My fingers trembled while pouring his wine from a fresh bottle, and as I returned it to him, I felt my knees quake.
Why did he have such a strong effect on my body? I was attracted to Thal and wanted to appear calm and confident, not like a nervous girl.
I handed him the glass, my fingers trembling.
He tracked me, his gaze a physical weight.
I didn't want to smile. I wanted to scream, or run, or pull him into me until there was no space left for Zeno’s threats to breathe.
He wasn't there to soothe my worries—he was there to replace them with a much more dangerous hunger.
But that wasn’t his job.
It was mine.
“I’m assuming you went over the materials I sent you?”
“Yes, of course. Thank you for sharing them with me. I know you didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” he said with a shrug. “I think it’s important that you have all the information so you can make an informed decision.”
“I agree. it’s very helpful.”
“So?” he asked, looking over at me pointedly.
“So, what?”
“Did you make a decision? Will you work with me to bring down Rhea?”
“I don’t believe you need me. You appear to be managing well on your own, judging by the amount of information you’ve uncovered.”
“I do need you. I want you.” His words carried an underlying meaning. His eyes were dark and intense, never ceasing their relentless scrutiny of my every move.
“But do you trust me?” I asked, instinctively wishing I could take those words back. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side.
“If I didn’t trust you, Daphne, I wouldn’t be sitting here. I wouldn’t have invited you into my bed. I certainly wouldn’t have shared top-secret intel with you.”
“I’ll interpret that as a yes, then.”
He gazed at me for a few moments before speaking again. “Your difficulty in trusting me is the issue, isn’t it?”
His direct gaze was unsettling and made me feel uneasy. I averted my eyes, unable to endure his probing into my soul any longer.
I stood up, walked over to the window, and looked out at the sky.
“This is a lot to ask, Thal.”
“I know,” he replied, setting his glass down.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I admitted, my raw honesty carving tremor through my chest.
“You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, Daphne.”
I whispered, “You don’t know me, Thal.”
My reflection shimmered in the window. I watched a single tear escape and roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away with the back of my hand, but the damage was done.
He saw it. No longer the confident, cool, unshakable woman I wanted to be.
I felt my composure waver.
He stood and came closer, wrapping his arms around my shoulders from behind. The intimacy of his body made a shiver run down my spine. I leaned into him naturally, craving the warmth he gave.
“I know your strength better than you think,” he whispered into my ear, his breath making my skin bristle. “Stop doubting yourself, Daphne.”
“But Zeno will…” My words faded away before I could finish, with both of us knowing exactly what Zeno’s reply would be.
He tried to reassure me, “He can try, but nothing will happen to you, Daphne. I promise.” He gently spun me around, forcing me to face him, and tilted my chin until our eyes met. “I’ll say it again: no one gets close to you. Do you understand? Not while I’m here.”
I hesitated. “How can you be so sure?"
A calm, unwavering conviction filled his voice. “Because I would die before I let that happen.”
My breath caught, my eyes welling with emotion. “Thal.”
His arms wrapped around me again, pulling me close. I felt my body come alive in the warmth of his embrace, craving his reassurance.
“Tell me how I can make you feel better," he murmured, voice gentle yet full of longing.
He was lethally intense, a predator who had decided I was the only thing worth guarding. It wasn't kindness, it was a terrifying, beautiful obsession.
At that moment, I realized I needed something only he could provide.
Without thinking, I pulled back, my gaze dropping to his lips.
Driven by desperation, I grabbed his face and kissed him fiercely, my lips pressing against his with urgency.
A wave of vulnerability washed over me, causing my knees to weaken.
His arms wrapped around me, offering support as he responded with equal fervor, his passion bursting into something fierce, untamed, and intense.
He groaned into my mouth, his cock pressing into my hip, hard and throbbing. I reached down and gripped him through his jeans, relishing in the feel of his hardness twitching against my palm.
He broke the kiss, looking down at me with feral heat in his eyes.
“Follow me,” I demanded, breaking away from him and walking toward my bedroom, his footsteps falling behind me. With each step closer to my bed, I grew wetter. After entering my room, I turned back to him, pushed him down onto the bed and towered over him.
“This is what you can do, Thal,” I said, reaching for the hem of my dress and pulling it over my head, exposing my naked body to his dark, stormy eyes.
“No underwear again,” he growled, dark lust shining in his eyes. “Is this a pattern?”
“Why bother?” I said, climbing into his lap and straddling him. My bare pussy rubbed against the denim of his jeans as I captured his mouth in mine again.
“You drive me crazy, Daphne.”
His tongue dove deep, finding mine and tangling with it, kissing me sensuously, longingly, the desperation and urgency flowing between us like a raging river.
I wanted to forget everything.
Just for one delicious minute.
I wanted to feel the buzz of the wine, pretend that danger didn’t lurk in every shadow, that there wasn’t a madwoman out there trying to figure out how to destroy us. I wanted to forget that I was considering betraying the one person in my life who resembled a family member.
And I wanted Thal’s cock to take all the pain away.
I tore at his shirt while kissing him, drawing my lips back to slip the fabric over his head.
Pressing my bare breasts against his bare chest, I gasped at the sensual contact.
Shocks of pleasure surged through my veins, leaving me breathless.
My hips moved of their own accord, my pussy grinding against the thick, hard length of his cock.
The very thing that I desperately needed inside me.