AND I WANTED TO BE A SOLDIER? Gwen wondered for the thousandth time after another grueling session. She was panting, sweaty and bruised as she flopped atop Sabin’s bed.

The last few days, Sabin had divided his time between his duties—whatever those were—and her training. She’d just spent the past few hours getting the crap beaten out of her. Again. He gave no quarter, showed no mercy. It sucked!

“You’re stronger, aren’t you?” he said, as if he could read her thoughts.

“Yes.” And she was.

“I won’t apologize. You know you can take a punch now.”

“And dish out my own,” she said smugly, recalling how she’d sent the muscled warrior flying into the trees, gasping for breath, only an hour ago. She also knew when to duck and when to attack.

“You just have to learn how to summon your Harpy faster. Good things happen when you do.” He sat at the edge of the bed, cupped a hand around the base of her neck and drew her toward him. “Now drink.”

As she sank her teeth into his artery, her cheeks heated at the reminder of the way she’d taken him in the forest. Then her eyelids drifted shut and she simply enjoyed the taste of this man.

He lifted her to his lap without breaking contact, and she immediately spread her legs, welcoming him against her body. He rubbed his erection between her thighs. She moaned at the bliss, the decadence. But when she tangled her fingers in his hair, withdrawing her teeth to lick and nip at him, he flung her back on the mattress, stood to shaky legs and strode toward the door.

“Time for round two,” he said. “I’ll meet you outside.” He disappeared around the corner.

“You’re really starting to piss me off,” she called.

No reply.

She almost screeched in frustration. Twice before, he’d done this to her. Trained with her, brought her to his room to heal her injuries with that delicious blood, got her hot and ready, and then abandoned her for his “duties” or more training. Why? Since their little chat, he hadn’t made love to her again. Again, why?

They’d declared their feelings for each other. Hadn’t they? She knew she wanted him, however she could get him, for however long she could have him. No use denying that anymore. If they didn’t last, at least she’d tried. And of course, it would be his fault so she’d have no regrets.

The thought of blaming him for any future discord caused her frustration to fade; she grinned. And the thought of a future with him had her sighing dreamily as she curled into a pillow. He was the kind of man every Harpy craved. Powerful, a little wild, a lot wicked. He could kill an enemy without guilt. He wasn’t afraid of hard work. He could be ruthless, without mercy, yet he was tender with her.

The only question was, would he put Gwen before his war?

Wait. Two questions: Did she want him to?

With another sigh, she rose and headed back outside. The sun was high and warm as she searched for Sabin. The moment she saw him, she experienced a wave of pride. Mine. He was hunched over two daggers, sharpening them to razor points.

No reason to practice with fakes, he’d told her. Tomorrow, they planned to work with guns. Golden light caressed his bare chest, deepening his tan. Sweat beaded over his muscles, making them gleam—and her mouth water. The puncture wounds were already healing on his neck; she wished they’d remain forever, her brand on him.

I’ve had all that strength over me, inside me.

She wanted it again. Soon. The nights were the most difficult of all. He wouldn’t enter the bedroom until close to morning—it didn’t take his demon to make her wonder where he’d been, what he’d been doing—and then he would crawl in beside her, though he refused to touch her. She would feel his heat, hear his soft inhalations, and she would ache all over. Then she would fall asleep before she could do anything about it.

Tonight, if he continued to resist her, she would take matters into her own hands. Literally. He’d tangled with her Harpy once and survived; he could damn well do it again.

“Damn it,” Ashlyn, wife to the keeper of Violence, said. It was surprising, hearing the gentle woman curse. “Not again!”

As usual, Ashlyn and Danika sat on the sidelines to cheer for her. They also liked to boo when Sabin knocked her down. Though she hadn’t spent a lot of time with them, she already adored them. They were open and honest, kind and witty, and had somehow, despite everything, managed to make a relationship work with a Lord of the Underworld. Gwen planned to get the lowdown from them as to how they’d achieved such a feat, but hadn’t yet had the time.

Currently, they were a bit distracted, playing some kind of game with Anya, Bianka and Kaia—who also liked to witness her sessions. Ashlyn and Danika had welcomed her sisters with open arms, claiming the fortress needed a little more estrogen to balance out the testosterone.

“It’s my turn to roll,” Bianka said in a mock growl. “So you can back off my dice or have your fingers removed. Your choice.”

Maddox was inside, or he would have challenged her sister, Gwen knew. Game or not, he didn’t like anyone threatening his woman.

The warrior called Kane stood off to the side, watching the women with a half smile on his face, his hazel eyes bright. He was out in the open, not leaning against a tree, not shaded by branches. And yet, even as Gwen watched, a twig snapped from the far black oak and hurtled straight into him, slapping him across the face.

He and a few of the others had apparently stayed behind to read scrolls Cronus, the god king, had given them—was that one of Sabin’s duties?—while the rest of the men had traipsed off to Chicago on a mission to “kick Hunter ass.” Odd that she missed them.

“—concentrating?” A hard weight slammed into her stomach, shoving her to her ass.

Sabin was on top of her a second later, glaring, the daggers just above her shoulders. “We’ve talked about allowing your mind to wander.”

As her lungs were in the process of seizing, it took her a moment to form a reply. “We hadn’t…started yet.”

Do you really think you’re…strong enough for this?

Doubt’s voice drifted through her head, but the demon had sounded reluctant, afraid even to make itself known. It really was terrified of her, as Sabin had said. A sense of power accompanied the knowledge.

“I’m sorry for using the demon against you, but I want to train you against it, as well. And do you think a Hunter is going to ask your permission to begin and then wait until you nod?”

Good point. Perhaps it was time for her to make a point of her own. “First, your demon is like a tame little house cat now. Second…” Since her arms were free, she fisted her hands and slammed both into his temples. He grunted in surprise, cradling his head as he fell backward. She didn’t waste any time. She kicked him in the chest so hard his ribs cracked.

The Harpy laughed. More!

For once, hearing that voice didn’t terrify her, and she blinked in surprise. Was she…could she be…embracing her darker side?

“Go, Gwennie!” Kaia called.

“Kick him while he’s down!” Bianka shouted.

He was still clutching the daggers as he blinked, trying to clear his vision. Gwen jumped to her feet, wings springing free in her back. Thankfully they were so small, they didn’t rip her shirt away. Moving faster than anyone could possibly see, she raced behind him and wrapped her fingers around his wrists.

There wasn’t time for him to resist.

Before he realized where she was and what she was doing, she had the sharp tips of the knives resting on his shoulders. A bead of blood formed around each one.

A moment passed in stunned silence.

“Okay. You’ve officially kicked my ass.” Some men would have been humiliated by that, but there was pride in Sabin’s tone.

Joy burst through her. Just like that, faster than a blink, she’d done it. She’d really done it. Winning a fight, no matter her opponent, was something she’d never thought to do, something she’d considered an impossibility. Yet she’d just defeated a freaking Lord of the Underworld, one of the most capable warriors in this world and any other. Gods trembled at the mere mention of their names.

Well, if they didn’t, they should.

“Next time we fight, though, I want you to let your Harpy completely free,” he said.

She nodded reluctantly. Letting the Harpy come out for lovemaking was one thing; battling was quite another.

“Just think about what you will soon be doing to the Hunters,” Kaia said with awe. “Baby girl, I’ve never seen moves like yours.”

“Mother would be proud.” Taliyah strode beside her and slapped her on the back. “If we knew where she was, she might even welcome you back into her fold.”

Gwen could have danced. She’d always been the anomaly, the weak link, the mistake. With one sweet victory, she finally felt like she was one of them. Like she was worthy.

Silent, Sabin reached up and plucked the daggers from her now shaky hands. What thoughts were tumbling through his mind?

“Good job.” Ashlyn rubbed her rounded belly. “I’m truly impressed.”

Grinning, Danika clapped. “Sabin, you should be embarrassed. You were brought down in less than a minute.”

“And by a girl.” But Kaia’s amusement quickly faded. “Okay, now that the training is winding down, I have a question. When are we going to see some action?” She anchored her hands on her hips. “We’re bored. We’ve been bored. And we’ve been on damn good behavior, waiting.”

“Yeah. Hunters hurt baby sis, so now they need to pay,” Bianka said.

“Soon,” Sabin told them. “I swear it.”

That scared Gwen a little. Not enough to change the course she’d set for herself, though.

“But at the moment, I’m going to spend some time with the woman of the hour. Alone.” No one protested as Sabin ushered Gwen to a private alcove, where he’d already stashed a cooler. He motioned for her to sit inside a cool circle of shade. “Do you need more blood?”

“No.” Seriously, what was he thinking? He was polite, but more distant than ever. Clearly “alone time” didn’t require nudity and a bed. How disappointing. “I’m okay. Operating at full strength, even.” To prove it, she too remained standing.

“Good. Much as I want to give it to you, I want to see how you recover from minor wounds without it.”

“I’m not wounded, minor or otherwise.”

“Really.” His pointed gaze dropped to her arm.

She looked down and saw the bloody grooves in her forearm. “Oh.” Wow. Getting shot must have inured her to the pain of other injuries.

“Let me know the moment it’s gone.”

Always the trainer. She liked that about him. Everything was a lesson meant to strengthen her, prepare her for what could happen. It really showed how much he cared, because he didn’t do it for everyone. Only her, actually.

Now that she thought about it, he only reacted with violence when someone threatened her. Kaia and Bianka had verbally insulted and physically assaulted his friends on several occasions, and he’d grinned, even joined in the teasing. But the moment her sisters turned their teasing her way, Sabin’s mood darkened. He never hesitated to shove them away, either. Really shove. To him, men and women were equal in every way and deserved the same treatment, something else she admired about him.

“Sit,” he urged again. “I need to talk to you.”

“Fine.”

When she’d obeyed, he held up an ice-cold, dripping bottle of water. “If you want to earn it, you’ll tell me what happens to a Harpy when she takes a consort. Tell me how long she has the consort, and what’s expected of him.”

Was he…could he be…thinking about signing on for the job? Her eyes were wide as he plopped a few feet in front of her and stretched out.

“Well?”

“Consorts are forever,” she croaked, “and very rare. A Harpy is a free spirit, but every so often one will encounter a male who…delights her. That’s the best word I can think of to describe the obsession. His smell and touch become drugs to her. His voice soothes her fury as nothing else is able, almost as if it strokes her feathers. As to what’s expected of him, I don’t know. I’ve never met a Harpy with a consort.”

He arched a brow. “You’ve never had one? A consort, I mean. And if you dare say chicken man…”

“No, no consort.” Tyson had not delighted her Harpy, that was for sure. She waved her fingers at the water. “I earned it.” The bottle was soaring through the air a second later. Cold liquid splashed her arms when she caught it. In seconds, she had the contents drained.

“Do Harpies have to obey their consorts?”

A laugh bubbled from her. “No. Do you honestly think a Harpy has to obey anyone?”

He shrugged, and she caught a glimpse of both resolve and disappointment in his dark gaze.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked.

“Your sisters seemed to think…” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Never mind.”

“What?”

His gaze became piercing. “Sure you want to know?”

“Yes.”

“They think I am your consort.”

Her chin hit her sternum, her mouth forming a wide O. “What?” she repeated, sounding foolish even to her own ears. “Why would they think that?” And why hadn’t they talked to her about it, rather than Sabin?

“I calm you. You want me.” He was almost defensive.

But if he…if she…holy hell. He did calm her. From the first, he’d calmed her. And she craved him, his blood, his presence, his body. She’d been such a failure at everything else in the Harpy world that she’d always figured a true consort wasn’t in the cards for her. Was it?

When Sabin wasn’t with her, she was looking for him. When he was with her, she wanted to be snuggled up to him, enjoying him. She had shared her secrets with him and wasn’t sorry.

Anya had told her Sabin belonged to her, but Gwen hadn’t believed the goddess back then. Now…holy hell, she thought again, dazed.

Was that why Sabin had been so distant with her? He didn’t want to be her consort? Her stomach twisted painfully. “I don’t…I don’t know if I love you, though,” she said, trying to give him an out.

Something dark filled his eyes. Something hard and hot. “You don’t have to love me.” The word “yet” hung between them, unsaid but there all the same.

Did he love her? It was almost too much to hope for. Because, if he loved her, he would have touched her again. Right? “Let’s talk about the war,” she found herself saying, rather than asking what she really wanted to know: Why haven’t you made love to me? “Won’t be as uncomfortable.”

He sighed. “Have it your way, then. I didn’t go to Chicago with the others, so I’ve been taking names from scrolls that list other demon-possessed immortals out there, looking for them in the books Lucien collected over the years and trying to learn about them.”

He’d stayed for her. She knew that, and couldn’t stop the delight that spread through her. Perhaps he didn’t hate the thought of being her consort, after all. “Found anything?”

“I recognized a lot of the names from my days in the heavens. Most of the prisoners in Tartarus were placed there by me and the other Lords, so we won’t be their favorite people. Might be best if we just hunt them down and kill them, so they don’t help Galen. Then again, he helped lock them away, too, back when he was one of us, so maybe it’s moot.” He paused, sighed again. “Look, I brought up the consort thing because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Disappointment and eagerness dueled for supremacy. Eagerness won. She straightened, ears perking. This was clearly an important subject to him. “I’m listening.”

Motions stiff, he dug into the cooler and withdrew another water.

“Payment?” she asked with a laugh. “I’ve already agreed to help you. No need to pay me.”

Silent, he popped the lid and drained the contents.

Her grin faded, the silence edged with tension. “What’s going on?”

He fell back against the tree, looking everywhere but at her. “When the time comes for battle, and it will, sooner rather than later, I want you to stay here, away from the action.”

Yeah. Right. She laughed again, her humor restored. “Funny.”

“I’m serious. I have your sisters. I don’t need you.”

But…he couldn’t mean this. Could he? This driven warrior would use anyone against the Hunters, would not be happy with three Harpies when he could have four. Right?

“I would never joke about something like this,” he added.

No, he wouldn’t. Just then it felt as if a thousand of Sabin’s daggers were stabbing at her chest, each of them aimed for her heart. Several of them succeeded in puncturing the organ, for it throbbed and burned. “But you said you needed me. You did everything in your power to enlist my aid. I’ve been training. I’ve improved.”

He scoured a hand down his face, looking exhausted all of a sudden. “I did say that. You have improved.”

“But?”

“Damn it!” he suddenly growled, fist slamming into the ground. “I’m not ready for you to spring into active duty.”

“I don’t understand. What’s going on? What changed your mind like this?” It would have taken something major, she knew.

“I just…damn it,” he repeated. “Whatever goes down in Chicago will surely infuriate the Hunters. Look what happened after Egypt. They’ll come here. They’ll try to retaliate. I won’t be able to concentrate with you by my side. All right? I’ll worry. I’ll be distracted. And my distraction will place my men at risk.”

Gwen didn’t know where she found the strength, but she pushed to her feet. Her eyes narrowed. He would worry. The female in her liked the thought of that. A lot. The blossoming warrior, the Harpy she now wanted to be, hated it, burning away the joy. She would never again be a coward.

“You can train yourself not to worry, then, because I’m joining you. It’s my right.”

He jumped to his feet, too, nostrils flared, hands fisted. “And it’s my right as your lover—consort, to dispatch your enemy for you.”

“I never said you were my consort. So you listen up. I’ve waited my entire life to be something. To prove myself. You will not take this away from me. I won’t let you!”

“No, he won’t,” Taliyah suddenly interjected. She stood off to the side, Kaia and Bianka beside her. Each radiated fury. “No one stops a Harpy. No one.”

“Big mistake, Doubt,” Kaia told him. “Too bad—we were actually starting to like you.”

“I knew eavesdropping was the smart thing to do,” Bianka said through clenched teeth. “You might be wonderfully vicious, but you’re still a man and we know better than to trust anything male. Look what happened the last time Gwen went down that road.”

Taliyah ran her tongue over her straight, white teeth. “Gwen finally gave you what you wanted, and you decided you didn’t want it anymore. Typical.”

“Gwen,” Kaia said. “Come. We’re leaving the fortress. We’ll take care of the Hunters on our own.”

“No,” Sabin said. “There’ll be none of that.”

For what seemed an eternity, Gwen simply stared over at him, silently begging him to tell her sisters they were wrong. Doubts consumed her, doubts that were all her own. Was he doing this to protect her, because he cared? Or did he simply have no faith in her abilities, even after all her hard work? Or was he planning to do something that would upset her—something with a female Hunter—and he didn’t want her to witness it?

Or was his demon ruling his mind? If so, there had to be a way to combat it.

“Sabin,” she said, hoping. “Let’s talk this—”

“I want you to stay within these walls,” he said flatly. “At all times.”

“You’ll leave me here, but you’ll utilize my sisters, right?”

“Two of them. One will stay with you.”

The women in question laughed. “As if,” they said in unison.

Gwen raised her chin, glaring over at him. “They won’t help you without me. Still think to leave me?”

“Yes.” No hesitation.

How could he do this? How, when he’d worked so hard to win her and her sisters to his cause? Bile rose in her throat, burning like acid. “Do you want to win your war? Finally? Because you could. With us, with all of us, you very well could.”

Silence. A silence that made her feel like she was being force-fed disappointment, regret and sadness, one rancid spoonful at a time.

“Gwen,” Taliyah said, sharply this time. “Come.”

Betrayed to her very soul, Gwen turned away from Sabin and followed her sisters.