Chapter 11
POSEIDON
We made our way to the private airport and my jet.
I usually avoided using it unless absolutely necessary—carbon footprint and all that—but this was different.
We had the time, and I needed space to process the chaos of the last few days.
I’d arranged to meet Hades and his men tomorrow at one of my homes in Greece.
I’d also asked him to inform Zeus about the assassination attempt.
I was not in the mood to deal with the king of the gods right now.
Cordelia sat beside me, silent, her gaze fixed on the window. The glow of lights flickered across her face, painting her in fleeting gold. She was beyond beautiful—but it wasn’t just that. There was something about her that pulled at me… something I didn’t understand.
A foreign tag team of emotions stilled my breath—rage, want, something dangerously close to tenderness. It was bewildering. I should have hated her. I should have ended her when I had the chance.
But I hadn’t.
The thought gnawed at me, coiling tighter with every mile we travelled. Why couldn’t I do it? Why had I stayed my hand when I’d slaughtered for far less?
I hadn’t desired a woman in such a way for centuries, but Cordelia? I didn’t just want her. I craved her. It wasn’t hunger—it was compulsion, raw and relentless. She’d betrayed me, tried to kill me, and still every instinct screamed to protect. Claim. Not destroy.
It was almost overwhelming.
The memory of her pretty lips wrapped around my cock nearly made me groan aloud. Heat coiled low in my belly like a contained inferno, and my trousers tightened in response.
She would be under me soon, screaming my name as I fucked her. She would be mine. In every sense of the word.
‘Are you alright?’ I asked.
She flicked her gaze to me, then back to the window. ‘Just worried… about my sister.’
‘Guinn?’
Her head snapped around, eyes blazing. ‘You checked my phone. Did you tap it too?’ Her fists clenched in her lap, knuckles pale. I could tell she was trying to control her fury. ‘That’s an invasion of privacy!’
I raised my brows and coughed a surprised laugh. ‘Well, you tried to kill me, so I think we’re even, don’t you?’
She visibly deflated as she closed her eyes. ‘I guess so. I am truly sorry.’
I didn’t respond. Her apology didn’t change what she’d done. ‘Do you need anything?’ I asked instead.
‘Food? I haven’t eaten in twenty-four hours.’
‘Can you wait until we board the plane? I’ll get food sorted as soon as we’re in the air.’
She nodded and leaned her head back, eyes fluttering shut. She looked utterly drained. A strange ache tugged at my chest—tight, and unexpected. I was concerned for her.
The would-be assassin who had almost taken my life.
This bewildered me further.
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the airfield. Cordelia’s head rested against my shoulder, breathing slow and steady. I inhaled the soft scent of her hair, a faint and ephemeral smell… like cherry blossoms after rain.
Perseus slid down the privacy screen. ‘Any requests, Majesty?’
‘Get food organised for everyone. Tell the flight attendants we eat after take-off.’ He nodded, slipped from the car, and he and Ajax moved to unload the boot.
‘Cordelia, we’re here.’ I stroked her hair, gently, and she stirred, letting out a soft moan. Her beautiful blue eyes opened and locked on mine—they were ocean-strong, swimming with warm sunlit currents.
‘Let’s go and get your sister.’ She gave me a sleepy smile and unbuckled her seatbelt.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
That warmth in my chest returned, burning deeper this time. My heart clenched—tight and unfamiliar. Affection? Ridiculous.
I shoved the thought aside and stepped out of the car, then we boarded the plane.