"Oh, then she must be your invisible friend. Would Ms. Simi like her own room while you stay here?"
She could tell by the look on his face that she was working him into apoplexy.
"I don't understand why you can't accept that there are things that exist beyond your knowledge and understanding. To humans the idea of a DarkHunter is preposterous. They have no idea that your world, or that of the Daimons, exists. The world that I know is just as real as this one and it is even more carefully guarded—just because you've never heard of it doesn't mean I'm making it up. You've never met the Squires' Ruling Council either, but you know they're all alive and well."
He did have a point. Still. "Yeah, and children the world over believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, which are all figments of their imagination."
Alexion ignored her. He clamped his temper down as he tried to reach out with his senses. There was a hum and an airy sensation that came whenever someone used a sfora to spy on events. He'd learned that aeons ago, once Simi discovered she could use a sfora to watch him while she was home in Katoteros.
But if it wasn't Simi…
That would leave someone from the other side. To his knowledge, Apollymi didn't need a sfora. She used a pool in her garden to spy on others. Which begged the question of who else would be interested in his presence here?
Why were they watching him?
Danger sighed. "Look, I don't want to stand here and watch you commune with 'other.' It's been a long night, my brain is fried and my emotions shot. You can stay here and do your hocus-pocus cat prowl, looking for your invisible friends all you want. I'm going to head off to my media room and veg."
Alexion nodded. If she left, then whoever was watching them would have to choose who to follow. That would tell him who their target was. "If you need me, call."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I'll just do that when I need the great big, hulking he-man to charge in and save my weak, girly butt."
Alexion wasn't sure if he should be appalled or amused by her. Strangely, he was both.
She left him, and the feeling of being watched didn't cease. He let out a relieved breath. He was the target. Good. So long as it or they was after him, he could handle it. Convincing the Dark-Huntress that something was after her might prove more difficult.
She seemed very stubborn in her beliefs and extremely resistant to listening to him.
"You picked a great time to waylay Acheron, Artemis," he said under his breath. "Do us all a favor and let him go." But he knew that was impossible. Artemis would never willingly allow Acheron to leave her. She spent every waking minute contriving ways to tie him to her even more.
But at least Acheron did have a choice in the matter. If he really wanted to, he could be a callous bastard and walk away from the DarkHunters. There had been times in the last few decades when Alexion wouldn't have been surprised to see Acheron do it.
He, on the other hand, had no way out. He couldn't survive in the human world for long. Life outside of Katoteros was only something he could have in his dreams.
For him there would never be love. Children. Wife.
Life was always a trade-off. No one could have it all. Everything came down to what sacrifice you were willing to make for your dreams. He had a good life in Katoteros. Simi loved him, and in a weird way, he suspected Acheron did too.
His every wish was reality…
Except one.
He wasn't able to have a consort. Acheron refused to open his house to anyone else; not that he blamed him. He more than understood Acheron's need for privacy and his fear of having to explain his past.
Alexion was only grateful that Acheron had been willing to let him in. Had he not…
Well, he'd been living in a most painful, pathetic hell that was unimaginable to most people. If not for Acheron, he would still be there. So from where he stood, his current situation wasn't so bad.
At least it wouldn't be if he could find out who was watching him.
But in the deepest corner of his mind, he knew who it had to be. Stryker. There was no one else. Which left him with just one question.
Why?
Chapter 8
Danger headed to her room to put on a pair of old gray flannel pajamas. They were two sizes too big, just like she liked them, and thick and ratty enough to discourage any romantic notions Alexion might have.
If only they could protect her from such perilous thoughts. She'd gone way too long without sex herself so it was hard to have him here and not have illicit thoughts about that ripped body of his. Holy moley, did he have to look so damned good?
Get a grip.
"I should throw him out of here, consequences be damned," she said quietly as she exchanged her black shirt for the pajama top.
If only she could toss him out. With his powers, he'd most likely just poof himself right back into her house, say something snotty, then prowl around searching for his invisible friends. Ugh!
She jerked her top into place, then reached for her cell phone. She pressed the autodial for Acheron.