Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RIVER

T hey were finishing an action movie just after noon when River heard a vehicle approaching. Apollo slid off the bed and walked to the door. He'd barely pulled it open when a set of heavy footsteps stormed into the cabin, and a familiar voice rang out.

"River!" Ares called.

Apollo looked at her, entered the hall, and closed the bedroom door.

"Where is she?" Ares demanded. "River? Where are you?"

"You aren't supposed to be here," Apollo said.

"And what? I should just leave my mate with you to die?"

"My mate is doing just fine. She is resting right, and your shouting won't make her any better."

"Where is she?" Ares growled.

"You need to leave."

Feet scuffled, and then a roar shook the walls.

River scooted to the edge of the bed and hurried to the door. She opened it to find Ares and Apollo fighting.

Again.

"Ares," she called. "Ares, stop!"

Immediately, Ares turned to her, shoved Apollo to the floor, and ran to where she stood. He stopped short of pulling her into a hug and instead leaned in and sniffed her.

A whine escaped his lips. "Beloved," he whispered.

He lowered his head to her neck and sniffed to her injured shoulder.

"Show me."

She pulled the collar of the t-shirt down, revealing the large bandage. He tugged at the medical tape and looked at the wound.

"It isn't healed yet. Why isn't it healed?" Worry tinged his voice, bordering on panic.

"It won't be healed for a day or so."

"But-"

"I'm a shifter, not Lycan. I heal slower."

He nodded and dropped to his knees. River's gaze connected with Apollo's. He barely held it together.

Ares wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her stomach like before.

She'd just touched his hair when he jumped to his feet again.

"You did this. This is your fault." He took a step toward Apollo, but River grabbed his hand.

"No. It's my fault."

Both men looked at her.

"I… I wanted to sleep out there. And when the rogues arrived, I… got confused. I didn't realize what they were."

"But-"

"It's my fault," she insisted.

Ares turned to her and cupped her face. "Why are you covering for him?"

"I'm not," she said firmly. "If you want to blame someone else, blame Titan. He's the one who sent them."

Ares growled, and his eyes turned black. "Titan's here?"

"No," said Apollo. "He either hadn't arrived yet, or I don't think they told him they'd found her."

"They?"

"A house full of rogues were waiting to see if we showed."

Ares searched her face, emotions playing all over his features.

She wanted to comfort him. Let him know she was all right, but she couldn't. Not in front of Apollo. It felt… wrong.

"We're going home," Ares announced.

"No." Apollo stepped forward. "The council said-"

"The council changed their mind. Seeing as you cannot protect my mate , they've agreed you should return to the estate."

Apollo rushed to Ares so fast that River didn't see him move. He shoved Ares against the wall.

"Stop calling her that. She's not just your mate. She's mine, too. And I will not let you take her. I don't care what the council says. I am the king. The Alpha of Alphas and my word is final."

Ares pushed Apollo off. "You aren't the king yet. Not until you take a mate."

"Well, that's only a matter of time, isn't it? I've already chosen, and now it's up to her to choose."

The men stood nose to nose.

"River." Ares held his hand out to her without looking.

Her wolf whined, and she looked from Ares to Apollo and back.

"River." Apollo held out his hand.

Seriously? Were they doing this? After all she'd been through?

Anger flared. She would not be a pawn in their dick-measuring contest.

Her wolf growled. No. Choose.

Exactly.

"I think I'll take a nap." Before either could say anything, she walked into the bedroom, closed the door, and locked it.

* * *

APOLLO

When River pulled open the bedroom door two hours later, Apollo looked up from where he sat on the couch and waited for her to come to him.

Ares showing up threw a wrench in his plans in a big way, but the fact that she hadn't immediately gone with him was a win in Apollo's book, and he would take it. Though she'd made it clear she wasn't happy with either of them for trying to make her choose.

He listened to her soft footsteps as they padded down the hallway toward him. When she entered the front room, he stood.

"Did you sleep?"

She nodded and wrapped her arm around her middle.

"Can I get you anything?"

She shook her head. He grabbed a throw from the back of the couch and walked to her, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said dryly.

His hands lingered on her arms. "It's I who needs to thank you."

"For what?"

"Lying to Ares. We both know it's my fault."

Her brow furrowed. "I told the truth."

"But if I hadn't left-"

"Then maybe you would have been shot first. I would be dead if it weren't for you coming when you did."

He searched her face, but it remained a mask.

She looked around. "Where are Ares and the others?"

"In a different cabin. He refused to leave."

She pushed her hair behind her ear. "Do you know how he found out?"

"I have an idea," he growled.

She nodded. "Lachlan."

"He went into town to get the food, and Ares showed up only a few hours later."

She blew out a harsh breath. Damn, she wished Lachlan hadn't done that. It would make it that much harder for Apollo to like him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked him to come."

"Trust me, any of Ares guards would have done the same as would mine."

The tension released from her posture a fraction.

"River, I want to apologize for earlier. It was wrong of me to try to make you choose between Ares and myself. It was-"

"Egotistical?"

"Yes."

"Childish?"

"Definitely."

"Selfish?"

"Absolutely." He nodded.

Her shoulders sagged, and she gave him a sad smile. "Thank you."

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"So… do we have to go back?"

Her use of the words 'have to' made his wolf smile. "That's up to you."

"Won't the council get mad?"

"They can get mad all they want, but ultimately, it's your decision, and they won't go against what you want."

She chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Would you like to go back?"

She sucked in a large breath. "I like it here. I like the quiet. It reminds me of home."

"Of Soho?"

"No. The home where my dad raised me."

He couldn't help but smile.

She stepped forward and laid her head on his chest.

Apollo froze and then wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"I'm sorry Ares attacked you again," she said. "I don't want to come between you two."

"Trust me, we've had twenty-eight years' worth of things that came between us before you came along. And I'm sure there will be over twenty-eight years more."

He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him, her eyes alight. He ran his finger down her cheek, bent down, and gently pressed his lips to hers. Then he rubbed his nose against hers and pulled her into a hug again.

"I've wanted to do that since the first moment I smelled you," he said.

"Rub my nose against yours?"

His wolf chuffed.

"It's something my father used to do to my mother all the time before he left on a trip."

Apollo lifted her chin. He bent in and kissed her again, but this time, he pressed his lips on hers more forcefully. He parted her lips with his tongue, and the taste of her swirled in his mouth, making his wolf howl. He tangled his fingers in her hair, and she pressed closer to him.

A white ribbon snaked around his wolf's ankle.

River gasped, and Apollo looked down at her and smiled. Their bond was strengthening.

"You feel it." He could barely get the words out. All he wanted was her.

She nodded, and he kissed her again. His. She was his, and he was hers. There was no denying it.

Mine. My Omega.

Apollo kissed her like it was the most essential thing in his life. He needed her to know and had to show her what she meant to him. To prove to her that he was the one for her.

A cough came from the doorway, and River stepped away.

Apollo growled and looked to the door. Lachlan held a bag of food.

"Uh… Prince Ares wanted me to bring you something to eat. To help her highness heal quicker."

Of course, he did. More like he just wanted Lachlan to spy on them and report back.

"You brought us food earlier, remember?"

"Thank you," said River. "Why don't you put it on the table so Apollo and I can eat together."

"I'm sure there's not enough for both of us."

She smiled. "Says who? Besides, if we are still hungry, we can send Silas to get more while we watch your next favorite old horror movie."

* * *

ARES

Ares paced the cabin, waiting for Lachlan to return. When the door to the cabin opened, he raced to it.

"What happened?"

Lachlan looked up at him. "I gave her the food like you asked."

"What were they doing when you went in?"

Lachlan's eyes shifted away.

"What?" he demanded.

"Kissing."

Ares growled and slammed his fist into the cabin wall, splitting the wooden log. He was getting to her. His River. Once again, Apollo saw what Ares had and wanted to take it for himself.

Despair replaced his rage as he sank into the oversized chair he'd spent the last two hours in.

All he'd ever wanted was to find his true mate and raise a family with her. He didn't care about being Alpha. He didn't care about keeping the peace between the Lycans and shifters. He didn't even care about the estate. All he wanted was her. If she told him that she wanted to return to Soho the next day, he'd take her. If she said she wanted to elope, he'd do it. Whatever she wanted, he wanted to give it to her. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing except for River.